Out of the Fire and into the Jump
by BBRAE623
Summary: Danny stops Dan. Danny saves the world. Dan escapes during the celebration and finishes the job he started. Stricken with grief Danny goes insane, now he builds a new life in jump, he's fine for two years until the Titans show up. Now what happens?
1. In Which There is Exposition

I'm awake. I hate being awake. Why do I hate bei-I remember. The flames. Heat. Deafening silence. Maniacal laughter. The boiler. Oh god, the boiler. Blue skin. Flaming white hair. Fangs. Red eyes. Dan. Me. He took them again, they're gone he…_I_…killed them. Jazz, Tucker…Mom, Dad…Mr. Lancer. There's someone else…I can't remember. Why can't I….it hurts too much to remember. Maybe I should talk with…Sam. Sam. She…Sam. She's gone. I know why I hate being awake. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Somewhere in my insanity, people ask what happed, and I tell the m the truth. They think I've gone insane, and I have, but not how they think. I'm put in a 'hospital' because of the truth. I don't care. I miss… Sam. I say her name. For hours on end, god…I miss her. Sam. Somewhere along the line Vlad finds out. He comes and talks to me. I'm nearly catatonic. Only one thing driving me. Sustaining me. Destroying me. Sam. Vlad talks to me. It…helps. I still miss her though. Sam.

Six months have passed apparently. I always miss her. Sam. But I can deal, just not with the town. I want to leave. Where will you go he asks me, and I tell him that I will go where I am not needed so I will never fail anyone, ever again. California seems nice. Sam. She's never been to California, it's going to take a while to stop…who am I kidding, I'll never stop thinking about her. Vlad wants to support me. So I let him. I get him to fudge the records and say I've graduated. I promise to go study with clockwork. And so I do. Sam.

I'm at a new place, I'm just another new face, to get lost in the crowd. I have a house in this town, this place called…Jump City. Jump City City? Kinda like Amity Park Park. Kinda funny I guess. Sam. I open a book store and a café. The café is half of downstairs, the bookstore the rest and all of up. I call it 'Sam's Place'. What else? A new start, a new life.

It's been a year. I've been holding get-together's at my place, every Saturday night, anyone who wants to come can come. Ghosts only. Ember comes. She makes it better, makes it nice. We start something together, something mutually abusive, and exclusive. Guitar lessons, which somehow turns into a physical relationship. She never got over her death, and I never got over Sam's. We use each other. We know what it is…but we're 'happy', for now. Right now I'm…not happy…but not dead either. It's a start. Sometimes we fight, sometimes we have sex...a lot of the times, but we never 'make love', we know that's not what it is, but it works. We're…content. She's my friend now. Wulf comes in one embarrassing evening. We decide If Ember wants to get together with me she'll come Friday night or call during the day, and if she wants to join Wulf together with me she can still come on Saturdays. I hire someone to help run the shop he suggests an open mike night every Tuesday and Thursday. It's pretty awesome. Mostly poetry and music, the occasional jokester. James runs the upstairs and I run the down. Desiree comes next. Then Kitty and Johnny. Shadow and Wulf are friends, we've all become friends. Spectra comes after a bad breakup. The misery here makes her so happy, she doesn't even encourage it, she acts like a human being for once. She's a regular now that she doesn't have to hunt for her meals. Klemper tried to come once. We all kick his ass to the curb. Sometime later Dani came by, she's not a regular, but I always love to see her, she's all the family I have left right now.

A year and a half. James leaves for a different job, so he can go to school he says. A week passes and another person is working there. Her name is Emily. Sam. Walker stops by occasionally, to make sure we're not breaking the rules. So he says. He just wants to have non-lethal fun for once. Sometimes we watch movies, sometimes we stargaze, sometimes we play games, sometimes we even go out to eat. I sometimes make a duplicate that stays human for the outings so no one get's suspicious. It's hilarious to see Jump react to them, but once they realized no one was destroying the town, they relaxed, somewhat. Vlad stopped by one time, scared the crap out of everyone and they all ran off. I hit him for that. We do other things too, but mostly…we talk. About anything…everything…nothing…Sam. We let Boxy and the Lunch Lady join in, as long as they're not annoying, which actually surprised us when they weren't. We're friends now. Sam. I miss her. She's still my best friend. No one will replace her. Vlad's got a girlfriend. Had a girlfriend, they broke up. I got him a lonely guy cat. I named it Fruitloop. I think it's hilarious. He doesn't. But he never got rid of the cat. Vlad got back with the girlfriend and in less than six months he's married. Nice ceremony. She knows about everything. She's a nice lady. Sam. She stopped by once. Technically Vlad's my guardian. So she's my step mother apparently.

From the beginning I had visited Clockwork and The Ghostwriter, Pandora and Frostbite. I try to get them to join in, but they they prefer seclusion, except for Pandora. I learn from Clockwork, and I get my books from The Ghostwriter. Rare old books, unique books, silly books. I keep him company sometimes. He likes it and I haven't had another Christmas fiasco, still hate the holiday though. Frostbite teaches me to calm myself and think of philosophy, reflect on my life. Pandora teaches me how to harness my rage and strategize. She also teaches me to cook, fight with weapons and sometimes we go on friend dates. Sam. Every year I go back. For the important dates like birthdays, and the anniversary. Halloween and Valentine's day for her. I go, for her. Sam.

Two years now and I'm seventeen, I look older. The town is used to my ghost outings, and business is doing well. Ember and me sometimes have guitar battles like nobody's business on open mike night. The patrons are used to hearing strange things when Ember comes. One week she got bored and we didn't leave the bedroom for four days straight. I was so tired afterwards. So was she. I didn't see her for two weeks. Made my patrons blush every time they saw me for a month. It's funny. Emily asked for some time off after that. Came back and was still blushing. Hilarious. Sam. A couple weeks after that is when it happens, when the five 'superheroes' came into my life.


	2. In Which They Meet

CH1

I've changed a bit over the years since…Sam. I've gotten taller, now I'm almost six feet tall. My hair is a bit longer, and just as unruly. I wear black T shirts now, with designs and logos as often as not. I wear black jeans with combat boots. Sam. When I'm sad I wear a white shirt and blue jeans, plus red converse. I always wear a watch and no matter what I feel I wear the ring Sam thought said 'wes'. On a chain on my neck. Sam. I've gotten more powerful, more control of my powers, new powers, and I've gotten muscled from all my training and working out. It shows. I get plenty of date offers, but I turn them down. I tattooed my old logo onto my chest, on the left side. Sam. It's a Friday and I'm sitting here, nine pm strumming a guitar. I'm pretty awesome at it. Some chick walked in and asked if I could help her tune her new electric guitar, so I get up on stage and strummed for a bit, then when I have it tweaked just right I break out into the solo from Comfortably Numb, and damn straight I'm rocking a pink hello kitty guitar. All the bad asses are.

"Here you go miss…"

"My name's Shelly." She says, batting her lashes at me, ah so young, so innocent. She hold something out to me on a piece of paper "And this is my number if you ever want to…" she leaves the sentence open and smiles at me biting her lip. I smile back as I spot something, glowing green across the street, and see two figures emerge, one large and furry and the other with a flaming ponytail.

"Shelly, I would love to but-"

"Hey Dipstick!" everyone looks up at her, some for only a moment, some longer, some actually go and greet her as she makes her way to me, some run the hell away. She's popular in my shop...mostly.

"But I don't think she'd like that. Hey Ember, you're early."

"I was bored, Kitty told me about this one thing she and Johnny did that-"

"Woah, Em, you're scarring some of my only innocent clientele here!" Ember looks to Shelly and her friend.

"Who're these chicks?"

"This is Shelly and her friend, uh-"

"Michelle." Her friend interjected.

"Same name? I know all about that." I said as I thought about Dani. She's technically two or three right about now, but she's somewhere around fifteen, sixteen, somewhere in there. "Anyway, Shelly and Michelle asked me to tune their guitar. You just missed a chance to make everyone skwee like fan-girls for you."

"Whatever. I don't need them," she gleaned in close and grabbed my shirt "as long as I can make you scream. All. Night. Long." She kissed me hard on the mouth and then pushed me away "And from what Kitty told me about-"

"Ember!"

"What?" she asks irate.

"We already scarred everyone when you insisted we use my place last month, I don't think we need to scar anyone else."

"But wasn't it fun seeing everyone blush at you?" I thought about it. I smiled.

"Well yeah, but next time we're going to your place, or my _other_ place." I said, hinting at my lair in the ghost zone. Yeah, I have a lair, so what?

"No way are we doing it in your lair, the light and dark scheme there is seriously freaky, it messes with perspectives too much, that would be bad normally but with you, who styles their house after freaking ESCHER, it takes me for fucking ever to go _anywhere_ in your lair if I even _can_ go anywhere. And I swear, that place _changes_ on you." she actually shivered a bit.

"It does, but I find it calming, plus, have you ever thrown a bouncy ball in there? It is so much fun to watch." I laughed when she shook her head at me.

"Excuse me," they both looked at the speaker, Michelle "but are you two dating?" Danny rolled his eyes and Ember laughed at the girl.

"Me? Date this dipstick? As if, just because he's the best lay I ever got don't mean I wanna date him."

"The best huh? Didn't know you liked me so much Ems."

"Shut up babypop, or I'll get the handcuffs." the girls' faces went red.

"That's not exactly a deterrent you know." both girls were blushing hard now.

"Now look who's scarring the innocent little fan girls."

"Y'know Ember, ya gotta stop doing this, wait until no one's around or something."

"If I do we would be moaning, not talking." I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"You are so damn obstinate. Fine, but tomorrow we're going to talk about this."

"Whatever, do you even-" there was a green streak across the sky that captured everyone's attention.

*ZSHWOOOOO...POOM!*

Whatever the hell it was crashed. Hard. I could feel the tremors from here. She looked at me.

"You're gunna go investigate aren't you?"

"You know me so well, HEY EMILY!" a red head of hair pops over the upstairs railing.

"Yeah boss?"

"I'm going out for a bit, if I'm not back in half an hour close up for me would you?"

"Yeah sure. Hey Ember." she waved at Ember and got a head nod. That was more than most people got, Ember likes her.

"You gunna tag along Ember? I mean your time doesn't start until eleven and its barely nine fifteen." She thought about it.

"Nah, I'm gunna hang out with my girl upstairs."

"Okay, got my cell, later." I kissed her cheek on my way to the back.

"Hopeless Romantic!" she called after me.

"Rocker Bitch!" I called back. We have a unique relationship. I went into the back room, the one made specifically for me, and changed into my ghost form. My hair is still white and my eyes green but everything else I've changed. I wear black fingerless gloves and combat boots, black Kevlar pants and a Kevlar shirt. I got tired of my clothes getting destroyed, so I asked Vlad to buy something tougher. He got me Kevlar clothing, that looks like regular clothing, apparently they have that now. Who knew? I have a light tactical vest I sometimes wear but not a lot, and a belt of small throwing knives. On my left hip I have a cylindrical piece of wood about six inches long and on my right thigh I have a Kabar (kay-bar) holster and a small spare knife. All black of course, I don't want to be seen too much. When I get angry my hair catches fire and my eyes go red. Like _him._ So I try to keep calm.

I go intangible and invisible, fly out the roof and become solid, but still invisible. I look to the smoke rising in the middle of the city. Well, that wasn't too hard to find. I fly over and watch what's going on. Some orange chick in battle armor with glowing green eyes just got knocked aside by a green ram that turns into a short green kid in a black and purple getup. And is that Robin? What the hell? They talk for a second before dodging. The orange chick threw a bus at them. Wow, stronger than she looks, a big guy in a grey hoodie catches the bus and sets it down, and apparently so is he.

"YO! WHO'S BEEN MESSING UP MY NEIGHBORHOOD?" the big guy shouts out. I fly down closer and notice a blue cloaked figure looking in my direction, slightly alarmed. The green kid speaks up.

"She started it!" the orange girl beats her hands on the ground and the high tech cuffs she's wearing fall off. She starts shooting green energy blasts from her hands. Oh joy. She fires at everything and the other three take cover behind a bus, I go intangible. When she stops to rest the three charge at her but a black energy screen stops them. A shadow rises from the ground and turns into the blue robe I saw earlier. Okay, what the hell, is there something in the water here? Are they handing out super powers at parties? I mean seriously, what gives? The cloak speaks, it's a girl.

"Maybe, fighting isn't the answer." smart girl. The shield comes down and Robin goes to the orange girl. She shout's something at him that no one understands and he holds his hands up, the universal sign for 'I'm not doing anything', and he pulls out a lock pick and sets to work. Her cuffs fall off. He starts to talk.

"Good, now maybe we caMMMMMPH!" wow, ten seconds and she's kissing him, the girl moves fast. She was kissing him for a looong time. She shoves him back and her eyes stop glowing.

"If you wish not to be destroyed then you will leave me ALONE!" orange chick flies off, coming within inches of me. I look at where she flew off to for a minute, then back to the other four. They look more interesting, but they're leaving. The green kid, Beastboy Robin says, tries to talk to Robin, but gets turned away, he looks at the grey girl who turns away, then he goes to the big dude and starts annoying him. The big guy flips out.

"THERE! TAKE A GOOD LONG LOOK! I had an accident and now I'm a monster alright, a CYBORG!"

"Cyborg? Cooooooooooool, you're like Robotman 2.0!"

"...You're a weird little dude, you know that?"

"Ahaha, you called me dude." The cyborg walks away "Alright, so, see you later right dude? Dude? Dude?" A shadow covers the city "DUUUUDE!" I look up to see what caused it and whadda ya know, a giant space ship. Any other day I would be surprised, but with the way things have been going today, not so much. It stops above an island I sometimes visit and shoots down a giant machine of some kind. A light flashes and there is a hologram of a giant alien standing there.

"People of earth, we come to your planet hunting an escaped prisoner, a very dangerous prisoner. Do not interfere and we will leave your city with only minimal damage. But if you assist her, your destruction will be absolute." the image fades. I land on a nearby roof and get out my cell. I dial Ember.

"What's up babypop?"

"Can you stay at my store and kick anyone's ass who makes trouble? Specifically if they look big and lizard-like."

"You sure know how to show a girl a good time."

"Yeah, that's me. Oh, and can you also keep the customers inside and protect them until I call?"

"..."

"Ember?"

"Fine, but you owe me."

"Deal." I hang up. and fly back over the group. They're talking again, Robin to the girl.

"You in?"

"I'm not really the hero type, trust me, if you knew what I really am, you wouldn't want me around." interesting. He puts a hand on her shoulder and turns her around.

"I know enough." she smiles at that, small, but there. I fly closer and her face turns panicked. "What's wrong?"

"There!" she point to me and everyone looks. "Who are you? Show yourself!" Well, no point hiding now. I let myself fade into view and land in front of three shocked faces and one freaked out one. I walk towards her and Robin gets in may way, pointing a staff at me, didn't that break?

"Who are you!" I keep walking, phasing right through him and the other two who try to grab me. The girl puts a shield in front of herself and I touch it. It stops me. I teleport to the other side, leaving barely a wisp of green smoke behind, and the girl gasps. I look at her up close. She's not a ghost.

"How did you know I was there?"

"You radiate death and power, you wear them like a cloak, and wield them as a sword. Who are you?"

"Who are _you?"_ I shoot back. A hand grabs my shoulder and pins me to the ground. I phase through it and come back up behind him, the cyborg. "That's not nice."

"The lady asked you a question." he got back up on his feet.

"You can call me..." I cock my head, not Phantom obviously, he died a long time ago, I smile "Thanatos." her eyes widen and then narrow.

"You are _not_ a god. You're powerful, but not _that_ powerful."

"True," I point at Robin "but he's not a bird, it's just a name, and I think it fits. So, what's your name?" she stops for a second

"Raven." I chuckle

"And yet you're not a bird either."

"Alright, then _Death__,_"

"Thanatos."

"Who is the god _of_ death."

"Whatever."

"Why are you here Thanatos?"

"Same as everyone else, I heard a boom and came to see what happened." Beastboy got up close and examined me.

"You don't _look_ like death. You look alive. Where's your scythe and your cloak and stuff?" I roll my eyes and turn to Raven.

"Mind if I borrow this? Thanks." I say and before she can say anything I phase her cloak off. Then I do something I've been experimenting with for a while, I turn all of my clothes and myself, except for my bones, invisible, then I put on the cloak and grab the piece of wood at my hip. When I pour energy into it it grows into a full sized scythe with a two and a half foot blade. I look at Beastboy and cock my head. In my creepiest voice I ask him "Good enough Beastboy?" He's trembling now

"Y-y-y-yeah." I fade back to normal

"Good." Raven tears her cloak off of me and puts it back on as I let my scythe shrink back into a piece of wood at my hip.

"Yo, how'd you do that?" I look at a freaked out big guy

"Selective invisibility, check it out." I hold up my hand an make different fingers disappear and then make it look like I have a hole in my hand. I let the bones, then the ectoplasm, then the muscles and veins and tendons come back into view, then the skin and the glove.

"You going to be any trouble?" asked the big guy. I rolled my eyes.

"Please, I was just curious. Just like the rest of you. I saw the whole thing, I wasn't even going to interfere unless it got out of hand, but you had it under control."

"You call _this_ under control?" he pointed to the general destruction, explosions, flames, craters and near to collapsed buildings around us. I shrug.

"I've seen worse." I had but he scoffed at my claim. "No ones dead are they...who are you?"

"Vict...Cyborg, call me Cyborg." I nod

"Okay, nobody is dead Cyborg. So yes, it _is_ under control. All this can be replaced, the people can't."

"Can't argue with that. You gunna help us?" I looked at my watch-nine forty two

"Sure, I got an hour to kill."

"You got a date or something?" he was annoyed with me

"Or something." I replied cryptically

"Not going to be much of an event if the city is destroyed is it?"

"We're going to her place, or my second house, either way, they're both in another dimension so I _think_ I'm good." Everyone's eyes went up and Raven stepped forward

"You travel Dimensions?" she asked

"Only from here to the 'Land of the Dead'. I'm sure I could go to others but I'm not interested. Although sometimes I surf through time."

"Surf through time? As in Time travel? And Land of the Dead?" asked Beastboy then "You're dating a dead chick?"

"Not dating, seeing. And I take offense to prejudice against dead things, I'm dead too ya'know." Cyborg crossed his arms

"Uh-huh, ignoring that."

"What's the difference between seeing and dating?" asked Beastboy

"One is all lovey-dovey and you always hang out, with us we have lots of sex and hang out." they all looked at me "What? She's hot." Cyborg twitched

"TMI man. Waaaay too much information." I sighed

"Let's just go."

623623623

We pulled our selves back into the alley. Robin spoke

"Where going to need a way to track her."

"She's nearby." We look at Raven and she explains "I can sense things." Beastboy said

"I'll see if I can pick up her scent." then he morphed into a bloodhound. Cyborg rolled up his sleeve to reveal glowing blue tech.

"There's a sonic analyzer built into my arm, if she's around I'll hear it." Beast Boy morphed back human

"I got her trail!" he went bloodhound again

"And I can hear her heart beat." We all followed Beastboy to a movie theater with a glowing ragged hole in the wall. Inside, the orange girl was devouring everything. Beastboy spoke up as we watched to see how much she could eat. The answer was 'a lot'

"Uh those taste better without the wrappers." She turned around and her hands were suddenly full of glowing green energy. Robin held up his hands

"It's ok, were friends remember?"

The girl kept the energy up and asked, "Friends? Why? For what purpose did you free me?"

"Just trying to be nice."

"Nice? We do not have this word on my planet. The closest thing we have is 'Ruthak'. Weak." Cyborg pointed at her.

"Well around here nice means nice, and if you want us to keep being nice, you better explain why the lizard king took you prisoner." She dropped her hands and stopped glowing, hands _and_ eyes. Always a plus.

"Not prisoner. I am, prize. The Gordanians deliver me to the citadel, to live out my days as their servant." Raven asked the girl

"Aaand the citadels are?" she looked up

_"Not_ nice." Robin, hands down, approached her

"Then you're not going with them, not if I have anything to say about it."

"Um, don't you mean _we_?" Beastboy asked. The wall blew in and forced us back

"SEIZE HER!" shouted a lizard. The leader lizard maybe? They all looked the same. They charged us. We fought back. Dodging them, punching, kicking, throwing, breaking, I saw some energy beams and manipulation going on. I stuck to hand to hand combat, I didn't need to blast them yet, and this was the most fun I'd had since...Ember's last visit. Most fun _fighting_ since that time I pranked Walker. That was fun. Eventually the alien chick got's knocked through the wall and flew up, continuing the fight there. She gets knocked down. I'm about to help her when another lizard crashes into the one above her. We both look and see Robin. She smiles. Cyborg is grappling. He gets tripped and flips back, right into about thirty laser blasts. The smoke clears and I see what he looks like. Damn. Robo-cop and Terminator got competition. They keep blasting him, then a green pterodactyl swoops down and gets him out of the fray. A lamp post covered in dark energy swats the ones that just shot at Cyborg out of the air. They retreat into the sky.

"I believe your expression is 'thanks'." says orange girl. Should probably ask her name. Oh well, haven't spoken to her, so it doesn't matter.

"Oh man," I look at Cyborg "my suit!"

"So? You look way cooler without it!" Cyborg looms over the little green dude

"Yeah, like I'm taking fashion advice from the guy in the goofy mask."

"Goofy? My mask is cool. Isn't it? Raven? Dead dude?" we shake our heads "What about my secret identity?" I laugh

"What secret identity?" Raven steps forward

"You don't have a secret Identity. You're green." he tries to come up with an answer, but gives up and takes off his mask.

"This isn't over," Robin says "now that we interfered…" the alien continued

"Trogar will strike harder, it is only a matter of-" and then of course the holo-thingie turned back on.

"Fools! The Earth scum were warned and your insolence will be punished. Your city shall be destroyed!" all was silent...then

"Great." Raven was going to be fun. I could tell.

"Sarcasm much?" The ship hovered over the city and a giant orange cannon powered up "Oooh, particle beam. Goodie. That is going to take a _lot_ of energy to block." Everyone started to argue, orange-y saying it was Robin's fault, him saying it was hers, Beastboy saying Cyborg talked him into it and Cyborg denying hit.

"SHUT UP!"

"QUIET!" Raven and I yell at the same time. We looked at each other, then she turned back to the group, which was staring at her, the quiet one. She was nervous again "Hi."

"I vote we blow it up."

"Sure," Robin said "and we get there how?"

"I can get us there." we looked at the quiet voice that said it, Raven, again. "Uh, just, get close together," we looked at each other and got close to her "and..." her eyes opened, glowing white, and a blackness enveloped us. When it dropped I looked around, we were on the alien ship.

"Nifty."

"Ugh," Beastboy "that dark energy stuff gives me the-" he saw Raven "I mean...it's cool!" I raised an eyebrow at him

"You're a terrible liar you know." we began to file out, except Raven, I went back to her. "You coming or are you going to sulk more?"

"I don't exactly fit in."

"So don't try to." she looked doubtful. *sigh* I pointed to the leaving forms "Look, ninja, half metal, green, alien," I pointed to myself "dead. You fit in just fine." She smiled. We burst into the main control room and a bigger lizard declaired

"The earthlings shall learn. It takes more than six juvenile heroes to defy the mighty lord Trogar!" Robin pointed and declared

"We're not six heroes, we're one team!" Everyone got ready for the two sides to clash. I cracked my knuckles.

"Hey guys, you take out the big bady, I got all the minions." Cyborg looked at me.

"Dude, there's like forty of them!" I hold out my hands, and from each finger comes an ecto-blast. Ten different aliens get blown back. Everyone looks at me

"Not a problem."

"CHAAARGE!" screams Trogar. the others look at me again.

"You sure?" I create a giant green shield to stop them and look at him

"Yes." they still doubted me? I sighed and create four duplicates. The five of me all turn to him and in one voice ask

"Happy now?"

"Uhhh." I drop the shield and blast half of them aside and freeze the other half solid. I beat all of the minions to the floor, then I combine my five selves and tell them

"Your turn." They attack Trogar. I phase through the him and start destroying machines. Hel-lo misplaced aggression. I look over and they're losing. Cyborg gets knocked down and his arm comes apart for a second. Robin notices.

"Can you re-wire that into some sort of weapon?"

"I can try." he replies. I look over at Raven, supporting a hurt Beastboy, as two more guards come in and corner them. Raven looks up.

"Get. Away. From my friends. Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" Everything went haywire, and blew up. The ship actually crashed, wow, she's powerful. Crash landing was more powerful. When everything clears Trogar is still standing. Great. I power up an ecto-blast, extra strong, just for him, when a blue blast knocked him out. I look at the source. Cyborg. His hand looks like a mini canon. Guess he managed to re-wire it.

"Okay," he said "I'm only going to say this one time...Booyah."

623623623

Later, on the Island Raven said

"That's quite a view."

"Yeah," Cyborg agreed, "Someone should build a house here." Beastboy joked

"Yeah, if you like beaches and sunshine." Raven chuckled once

"You know, you're kind of funny." His eyes shone

"You think I'm funny? I know some jokes!" Her face gets panicked and I laugh at her. Poor fool. I turn and the alien girl is here in...a...a purple mini-skirt? I look again, it's what she was wearing before, just, without the plate mail.

"Please, I look, nice?"

"I still don't know your name." said Robin

"In your language it would be Star...fire."

"Welcome to Earth Starfire." I collapsed onto a rock, sitting with my elbows on my knees, my chin on my hands.

"Why can't anyone have a normal name? Like, Garfield, or Rachael, Victor or Richard?" The people around me collectively paled, except for Starfire. "What?" I asked them.

"How did you-" Cyborg clamped a hand over Robins mouth and the other three spoke at once.

"Nothing!"

"Nothing!"

"That's not my name!"

"...Okay, you be freaks without me, I'm just gunna sit here." Starfire walked to the group.

"Thank you all for your bravery and help. I wish to ask permission to remain here, where the people are most strange...but also most kind." Raven smiled a bit.

"You don't need our permission." Robin, now un-clamped, added

"But if you want our friendship, you've got it." Cyborg looked at me before turning to the group.

"I guess we could all use some new friends." Beastboy nodded

"Besides we made a pretty good team." Robin looked at Cyborg and nodded

"I thought we might want to keep in touch, so Cyborg and I designed these." He held out five yellow circles, with an antennae and grips on the side. and each member of the group took one, Robin now held two.

"I made them out of my own circuits." Said Cyborg, then he looked at me."Yo man, getcha ass over here, you're a part of this as much as anyone."

"Actually," I get up, dust myself off, and walk over to him "I quit 'hero'-ing a long time ago, and I'm not eager to pick it up again." I cross my arms at him.

"Then why did you help us?" he shoots back. I raised an eyebrow at him and uncross my arms. I held up my left hand, palm up

"Having my house and all of my possessions destroyed by a giant ass particle weapon," right hand up "Stop said particle weapon and not have to take up residency in my other dimension. I don't know about you but I like option B." Robin comes over and hold a circle out to me.

"Take one Thanatos, so when there's trouble, you know who to call." I roll my eyes and snatch it

"Whatever. What time is it? I have to get back by eleven." I check my watch "Crap. Im forty minutes late." They look at me as I open up my cell and dial a number. It picks up. "Uh, hey."

"You're late." the voice was deadly calm.

"Uh yeah, I know I'm late, but I had to stop a giant particle weapon from destroying the city, and mainly the shop. Which you were in, so I uh, saved you I guess?" I get questioning glances.

"Where are you?" Still calm. Crap.

"You know that Island when you bet I couldn't do it in broad daylight? Well the ship crashed just off its shore an-"

"I'm coming to you. Don't move Dipstick."

"NO! YOU DON'T HAVE TO-*beep*...crap." I turn to the five others "No matter what happens, don't attack her, please?" they're about to question me when all of a sudden a swirl of turquoise flame materializes from nowhere and Ember emerges. Ember lands on the beach and marches up to me, leaving footprints of Turquoise flame behind. "Hey."

"Don't you 'Hey' me! You stuck me protecting a bunch of dipsticks while you went off galavanting and..." she seemed to notice the company for the first time. "Who the hell are these dwebes?"

"I am Starfi-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever chickie-poo." she turns back to me. "While you went off galavanting and fighting galactic badasses! I wanted to beat them up too! And what's worse was that you did it on MY time!"

"Listen, Ember-" she pulled her guitar around "Crap."

"Crap is right! You don't 'Listen Ember' me!" She struck a power cord and sent me flying back into the surf. I come back up and stand in front of her, phasing the water off in one big wet 'shplop'

"I guess I deserved that."

"Damn straight you did." Beastboy stepped forward

"Is this the dead chick? She doesn't look dead." Ember glared at him and he hid behind Cyborg.

"You tellin' them about me?" she asked

"Only that I had to be back before eleven, they asked if I had a date, I said no and then I explained about our 'relationship' or whatever the hell we have."

"Whatever. Take me home you moron. I swear, dead or alive, boys are all the same."

"Y'all two ain't dead." the two resident dead people looked at the Cyborg who had just spoken.

"Excuse you?"

"Y'all ain't dead, you're walking and talking and breathing, y'all ain't dead."

"He's a believe it when I see it kinda guy." I tell her

"Oh." she says "Hold my guitar dipstick." I hold it. "Hey Tin Man!" she pulls aside her shirt, to show a knife wound going through her chest and into her heart. "This look alive to you?" She put his hand on her neck "You feel a pulse? See your fingers moving?" she was quiet and he didn't. No one did. No one spoke. "Didn't think so. I'm dead." she points to me "He's dead, and we're about to have lots and lots of dead s-"

"EMBER! Dear god, have some restraint!" The five others were looking at us. "I can't stand you some times."

"Feeling's mutual dipstick. Home. Now."

"Yeah, whatever." I hold up my hand, a ball of green energy hovering there before I send it out from me, and expand it. Once its a good ways away and and tall enough to walk through, I stop it, and concentrate. There's a flash of light and a rush of sounds. Screams, whooshing, roars, cries, laughter, pleas for help, voices, everywhere, the portal is open.

"One dimensional portal, ready to go." she gets on her guitar and flies through, surfing the sound waves. I turn to the five teens on the beach. "Later, I guess." they wave to me and I look at them for a moment.

"HEY DIPSTICK!"

"That's my cue. Bye." I step through the portal to the ghost zone and it closes behind me. I can feel the stupid yellow communicator sitting in my pocket as I fly after Ember. All in all, not a bad day. At the very least I have something to talk about tomorrow.


	3. In Which They Meet Once More

CH2

It's been a at least a month since I saw the Titans, as they were now called by the media. The Teen Titans. Titans, mightier than the gods themselves. Insert dull mythological monologue of epic proportions here. Inexplicably the city had worked overtime to build a giant ass tower in the shape of a letter 'T' on the island the holo-thingie had been. They live there now apparently. Anyways. Robin had held a press conference and was telling them about each member of the team which, apparently, I'm on, and now I'm never gunna live it down.

-Flashback-

"There are six members to our team as of now, although one of them is very reluctant. As you all know, I am Robin, this is Beastboy, the changeling, Cyborg, the, well, cyborg. That's Raven the sorceress, and Starfire an alien, whom we saved from the Gordanians, a race of kidnapping jailers and humanoid alien traffickers."

"Excuse me! Robin! Robin!"

"You. Yes?"

"Where is this sixth member?" Robin hesitated then sighed.

"Um, we're not exactly sure, just after we gave him a communicator his girlfriend dragged him off to another dimension." there was laughter

"No really, where is he?"

"Uh, no, really, his girlfriend...showed up, in a typhoon of fire...told him off for being late to their date...and dragged him off to another dimension." there was silence

"Who is this sixth member, and his girlfriend?" I could be exposed, but if Ember found out she was getting called my girlfriend she would kill me, and I don't think she'd stop with my human half. I whipped out my stupid yellow com device and went ghost. My hair was on fire.

"Well he-" *beep-beep beep-beep-beeep beep beep-beep-beep* "Uh, that's our communicator," he looked at his communicator "and this is the sixth man." he opened it up and his face appeared on the screen "Hold on, let me put you up on screen." he said

"No Robin don't!" too late, I was looking at my face up on a big screen behind Robin, my hair got bigger.

"Thanatos, we've been trying to get in contact so you could show up. Why haven't you answered?"

"Because I don't _want_ to be a hero!"

"If you'd just met with us then we-"

"You want me to meet you? Fine I'm there!" I shut off my communicator and watched Robin flounder for a few seconds. Then I teleported to where I sensed Robin's life force, right next to the four others as white flames erupted from nothing. Happens when I'm mad. There was a series of gasps and flashes as cameras went off. I got up in his face, looming over him, hair flaming like a bon-fire. "You wanted me here, I'm here, now let's talk. I don't want to be part of your damn team! I never gave you permission to tell others about me! I just wanted to make sure my house didn't get disintegrated! And where do you get off telling people about _her?_ I told you, she's _not_ my girlfriend! If she hears about you calling her my girlfriend she'll kill you, and then she'll kill me! Again! What, me being dead isn't enough for you? You want to make sure she obliterates me from my afterlife?"

"You're dead?" I turned to a reporter

"What?"

"You just said you were dead...are you?"

"Yeah, I'm dead, no, I don't have a girlfriend, no matter what SOME" my evil glare went to Robin momentarily "might say. It wan't a date, I was going over to a good friend's house, and apparently I didn't make that clear enough." another reporter

"Your name's Thanatos?"

"Yeah." different reporter

"Who is this friend of yours?"

"No comment."

"How did you meet her?"

"She tried to take over the world."

"Are you joking?"

"No, she got pretty close too, but I stopped her. Then she tried to destroy me a few times."

"And she's your 'friend'?"

"Yup."

"What about your enemies?"

"No comment." another reporter

"Hey! I recognize you!"

"You do?"

"Yeah! You go out with that group of freaks and giants, those monsters, every month, but why is your hair on fire?"

"First off, they're not monsters, they're dead. If they were monsters they would try to destroy the town and I would kick their asses. Second, it get's that way when I'm pissed off." I pinch the bridge of my nose "Look, I don't want to be a hero. I just want to live in peace." another reporter stood up he looked angry, oh joy.

"Where do you get off saying you 'don't want to be a hero'?"

"Excuse me?"

"Where do you get off saying that? Do you know how many people would jump at the chance to be a hero?" he demanded

"I don't know," I said, putting my chin in my hand and my elbow on the podium "how many morons are there?"

"You can't just dismiss it like that!"

"Oh? And pray tell, why not?"

"You were given a gift! It's your duty to use it for the greater good!" I stood up straight. My eyes were glowing red so brightly that everything was bathed in it. My hair was a blazing inferno. Fangs grew in my mouth and frost formed around me, darkness became my cloak. I descended the steps and made my way to the man who was standing there defiantly, ice trailing in my wake. Everyone else had gotten out of my way. Apparently he was stupid. I was about to make him a prime example of Darwinism in the workplace.

"Mind saying that again?" my voice was calm and deadly. Robin noticed.

"Thanatos, calm down he-"

"No. I want to hear this."

"You have powers! You have to protect the innocent! It's your job! If you're not a hero you're a villain!"I thrust my hands out and froze him to the spot, feet to the floor and hands in columns of ice. People gasped and the man struggled.

"That's what the people of my last town thought. I protected them countless times, and they tried to obliterate me. Disintegrate me. Lock me in a cage. Tear me apart, molecule by molecule. Hell, I've been dissected. Twice. They couldn't accept that I was helping them. Then I stopped, and the king of the dead, a man by the name of Pariah Dark came to the town to lord over the fact that the people had driven away their only protection. Then they called for me to return, to protect them again, so what did I do? I came out of retirement, and fought off his army. His _entire_ army, and with about only eight of my enemies who thought I was the lesser of the two evils. I drove off the king and put him back into his sarcophagus. Some of them thought of me as a hero then. But the rest still thought of me as an evil being. Why? Because I died. For my _duty._ You say it's my duty? MY DUTY!" I was roaring at him now and every reporter and every camera was recording every second of it. But I didn't care. "Where do _you_ get off telling _me_ about duty? I KNOW MORE THAN YOU EVER WILL! I have saved the world from complete annihilation! Held the fabric of reality in my hands and resisted temptation! Had multiple opportunities to alter the time stream to benefit myself at the cost of others! I have had the chance to prevent my death no matter how how many others would die because I lived, but I didn't! All for what I felt was my _duty_ to protect others! And yet after all of that, ALL OF THAT, I had everything ripped from my life, right before my eyes! EVERYTHING! MY FAMILY! MY FRIENDS! MY HOME! MY LIFE! THE ONE I LOVED! I GAVE IT ALL IN THE NAME OF DUTY! I WAS NEAR OBLITERATION, MY BODY BROKEN ON THE GROUND, ALL MY LIMBS SNAPPED, MY RIBS CRUSHED, MY SKULL FRACTURED BY A SUPER POWERED MADMAN I BARELY DEFEATED! MY ORGANS WERE FAILING, MY BLOOD POOLING UNDER ME FROM A THOUSAND CUTS AND BURNS! I WATCHED, BARELY ABLE TO DRAW BREATH TO SUSTAIN ME AS THEY DIED, **SCREAMING** FOR ME TO HELP THEM! I'M **SEVENTEEN** FOR GOD'S SAKE! **WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT OF ME? WHAT MORE DO YOU DEMAND I GIVE YOU? WHAT LEFT IS THERE FOR YOU TO TAKE FROM ME?**"

I screamed at the top of my lungs. I took out my scythe. I swung. People were screaming. The Titans tried to stop me. To protect the man. But they didn't. My scythe descended, the blade glowing white hot and green tinted as it ripped a hole in between dimensions, not the man. Green light flowed through. I stuck my hands in the light and ripped a portal open, the sounds of death greeting me, calming me slightly. A fist flies out, hitting me on the jaw and a figure steps through, shouting.

"WHELP! Today shall be the day I skin you and hang your pelt on my wall!" I smiled a smile to make the devil proud. I get up, wiping my ectoplasmic blood off and cracking my knuckles.

"Hel-lo misplaced aggression." I fly through the air, going nearly two hundred miles an hour when I tackle Skulker through the portal, which closes behind me.

-End Flashback-

It had been days since then and Skulker was hiding, trying to build a better suit. Why was I thinking about it? Because my blow up was on TV...again. The media was blaring it on all the local stations and I would never live it down. I was taken from this oh so joyful train of thought by screaming outside and people running away. What the hell? I got my answer as a giant were-wolf-esk figure in sweats and a hoodie came through my door, nails scraping along the glass, footsteps barely making an noise despite his size. It was going to be one of those days. I could tell. Several people watched as I went up to him. There was tension in the air. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen. I gave him a hug and laughed a bit, I couldn't stay serious for long with him around.

"Wulf, it's good to see you buddy. Come on, take a seat, there's someone I want you to meet." I looked around as Wulf took to one of the larger chairs and began looking through a magazine. People were still cowering. "Oh, come on people, he's harmless, and a good friend of mine. I don't want you insulting him."

"Ĝi estas bone mia amiko. Mi estas uzata por homoj timis pri mi."

"Yeah, well you shouldn't be. You're a nice guy. EMILY!"

"Yeah Boss?" her head popped over the railing "Woah, what's with tall, dark and furry over there?" Wulf waved.

"Come and meet him." I said, waving her and Wulf over. People were starting to get less fidgety as she came down the spiral stairs and stood in front of him. "This is Wulf, he's a good friend of mine and I want you to be nice get him anything he asks for." The 'be nice' wasn't just cursory. If she didn't like people she gave them hell. She would be nice if she was asked to but otherwise, you just had to hope. She looked at him for a bit and smiled.

"Okay Boss. Nice t'meetchya Wulf. I'm Emily." she stuck out a hand for him to shake. He looked at it. Then he looked at her. Emily is five foot nothing, has long red hair, usually in a ponytail, and was covered in freckles. She had green eyes, human green eyes, and a calculating look she always wore. She had a tendency to look at things for a long time before saying anything. Stared at me for three hours before asking for a job application. Creepy as hell, but I gave her a job anyways, on the principle that if she could freak _me_ out, she wouldn't have trouble with any of my customers. I give her free reign of dress as long as she obeyed the law and wore a name tag and an apron. Our aprons are purple. Today she was wearing khakis and a blue tee. He got really close to her, sniffing behind her ears then backing up to bare his teeth. Everyone tensed at this, except for Emily. Wulf smiled and picked her up in a giant hug. "Woah, friendly guy aren't we?" he set her down.

"Wow Wulf, took her a month to get her to smile at me, she must really like you." Emily reached up and began to pet Wulf.

"Mi ŝatas ŝin tiel. Lia animo odoras pura."

"Yeah, I looked at it, it is pretty pure."

"Why do I feel like you're talking about me?"

"Because you're not stupid. Try under his chin." She did and he was a _very_ happy Wulf.

"He's just a big ball of fluff isn't he?"

"Yeah. So Wulf, why are you here? Not that I'm not glad to see you but, you never come over except on Saturdays."

"Mi vidis vin en televido. Mi venis por vidi se vi estas bone amiko. Ĉu vi?" He said this absentmindedly though, he took his claws and drew the back, smooth side of them across Emily's cheek. He looked enamored with her. Great.

"Yeah, I'm okay I guess, he just really pissed me off."

"Someone pissed you off boss? He still alive?" That she asked just showed I still couldn't control my temper.

"Unfortunately. I was over reacting but th-" the doors of my shop banged open and in came the titans, fighting ready. Robin looked around and saw people cowering, Wulf with his claws on Emily's face, and of course he drew the wrong conclusion. I was right, it was one of those days.

"Alright you monster, you have three seconds to give up or we'll-"

"OI!" I got everyone's attention "Get the hell out of my store!"

"Stay out of this, we've gotten reports from the police of this monster terrorizing the town!"

"Oh really? Wulf, what have you been doing since you got here?"

"Mi ricevis kelkajn frostita de Giovanni aj kaj promenis tra la parko. Poste mi venis ĉi tien." Beastboy boggled, then asked

"Dude, what did he say?"

"He got ice cream from Giovanni's and took a walk through the park before he came here."

"You can understand him?"

"He's not dumb, he just speaks a different language! And what 'terrorizing' is he supposed to have done?"

"He was reported to have stolen...uh...ice cream." I reach into Wulf's hoodie and feel a crinkle. I take it out and look at it, then I hand it to Robin.

"Receipt. What else?"

"Uh, he was seen terrorizing joggers!"

"Mi iris por promeni!"

"He went for a walk. What. Else?"

"Breaking into a bookstore?"

"He opened the door, he's just visiting." Emily was scratching under Wulf's chin and he was sitting down. Soon he was on his back and she was rubbing his belly. I turned to the titans and raised an eyebrow and deadpanned "Oh, the horror, the unspeakable horror."

"Uhhh"

"Look, Wulf has come into the city every Saturday for the past year, and he's never caused any trouble. Go ask around, he and a group of friends sometimes go out and eat at Giovanni's and the police can vouch for that. They new officers always stop Wulf until it's explained to them. Go ask Giovanni, he loves this guy, always has a table ready for him and his friends. He can vouch for Wulf if you still don't believe me, so either buy something or get out."

"Ne vian bona tago, ĉu amiko?"

"No, not really." I look at the titans. "So, what have we learned today class?" Beastboy raised his hand "Beastboy."

"Uh, people aren't monsters just 'cause they look weird?"

"Very good." I gestured to the cafe "You get a cookie."

"Really? Sweet!" he ran over and took a giant chocolate-chip cookie. Cyborg raised his hand half way

"Yeeees?"

"Don't jump to conclusions?"

"Also good. Cookie?"

"Can I have a brownie?"

"Sure."

"Well alright!" he ran off to get one.

"What about you Raven?"

"I don't do sweets." Beastboy and Cyborg came back, each happily munching on their treats

"Dude Raven, you totally should. These things are great!"

"Yeah man, what did you put in these brownies? They're better than the ones from the bakery! Hey, uh, we're sorry about bargin' in on here and accusin' your friend and all." Beastboy nodded vigorously

"Yeah sorry." I looked at Raven.

"What they said."

"Raven." she looked away from her loud team mates obnoxiously munching next to her. "I have tea." her eyebrow twitched.

"I'm sorry." I nodded my head in acknowledgement. Probably the best I'd get from her.

"Emily."

"Hmmm?"

"Stop playing with your new friend for a second and make Raven some tea please."

"Sure thing boss." after a few more rubs and a few loud pats on his stomach she got up. "C'mon Wulf, c'mon blue, let's go get some drinks." Beastboy followed after Raven, trying to talk to her and Cyborg could be heard saying 'can we get some more of these?'

"Starfire?"

"Yes un-known store keeper?" My mouth twitched briefly into a smile.

"Danny. My name is Danny."

"Yes store keeper Danny?"

"Did you learn anything?" she nodded solemnly

"You are loyal to your friends, you are not afraid to stand up for them, nor what you believe in, and you are not above the bribery."

"Excellent. Would you like a treat?" her eyes sparkled and she began clapping and jumping up and down

"Do you have mustard?"

"Um...yes, for the pretzels."

"May I have some?"

"Help yourself." she squealed flew to raid the mustard packets. That left Robin and me alone. "So..." he rubbed the back of his neck

"Uh, yeah." I stared at his discomfort

"So...this is awkward." more discomfort. Awkward shifting on both sides. "You have anything to say?"

"Nope." I crossed my arms and leaned on the back of the chair.

"Really?"

"Uh...yes?"

"Okay. Get out." he stood up straighter

"What?"

"You didn't learn anything, and you didn't apologize. Get out."

"You can't just-"

"EMILY!" her head popped over the top of the railing

"Yeah boss?"

"How did y..." I turned to the cafe and saw Beastboy, Cyborg and Starfire sitting and chatting while they snacked. "Raven?" she leaned over the railing "Yeah, thought so. Finding everything okay?"

"Yeah boss, she's got some unique tastes."

"Show her some of the books in the chest in the back closet. And toss down the sign."

"Sure thing." she popped back over and Raven followed her. then I heard "Incoming!" I looked up to see a sign spinning down and I caught it. I flipped it over after glancing at it and showed it to Robin so he could read it aloud.

"I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. If they don't leave willingly I will remove them by force." he scoffed "I'd like to see you try." Thirty seconds later I had him in a joint lock and was 'escorting' him out the door. He stumbled as I let go of him before facing me with his best worst glare. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, you glaring at me makes me want to cave right now and beg for mercy." as I go back into my store I call out to him "Later boy blunder." past the doors of my shop I was greeted by four people staring at me. It was going to be one of those days. "What?" Cyborg shook his head.

"Nothin', just didn't think I'd ever see anyone do that to Robin."

"Duuuuude."

"Please merchant Danny, I have questions for you."

"Shoot."

"What weapon do you wish me to discharge?" Facepalm. Cyborg put a hand on Starfire's shoulder

"Star, he means ask your questions."

"Oh, very well then. Why have you treated Robin as such?"

"He didn't apologize and he didn't learn."

"Oh, I shall speak with him then. Merchant Danny?"

"Yes?" she took a deep breath.

"How old are you, how did you come to be here, what is your favorite color and do you wish to be my friend?" her face was practically touching mine.

"Uhhhhh, seventeen, flew in two years ago, purple and...I guess?"

"OH GLORIOUS!" she hugged me and broke my spine in half. And I thought Klemper was bad. Wulf chuckled. I glared at him and gasped out the words

"Shut...up...fur-ball. Star...air...AIR!"

"Oh," she let go of me "hee-hee." Cyborg checked his arm

"Yo, guys, we gotta get back soon, we need to leave. Hey Danny," he held up a platter of our brownies...all of our brownies. "I'd like to buy these." I did a quick count.

"Twenty seven brownies. A dollar a piece. Five percent tax. Comes out to twenty eight thirty five." he handed me two twenties.

"That's a bit much."

"Beastboy ate some cookies...twelve of them."

"Ah," I snatched the money and walked to the register "just right then." I put it in and closed it. "Excluding tax of course."

"Uh, yeah." he rubbed the back of his head "Anyways, we gotta go man, later." we fist bumped

"Yeah, bye dude, thanks for the food!" he waved as he ran off. Star flew up and broke my spine...again.

"Farewell new friend Danny. We shall see you again soon!" I gasped as I regained control of my lungs again

"Bye...Star...fire." *cough cough cough* "Oh geeze...hey, where's Raven?"

"Ŝi estas ankoraŭ kun via bela amiko supre."

"Thanks Wulf. And...thank you, for checking up on me."

"Ne estas problemo. Mi maltrankviliĝas kiam via kapo kaptas fajro. Ankaŭ, mi ne kredas kion vi faris estis prudentaj."

"The thing with Robin or becoming Star's friend?"

"Ambaŭ."

"Robin had to learn some time, and Starfire...well, nothing is at risk there except for my spinal cord. It was nice seeing you. You gunna stay?"

"Mi kredas ke mi parolos al viaj ruĝaj haroj amiko Emily." I give him a look

"Just be a gentleman." I told him. I went upstairs and found Emily talking and Raven on her knees, looking through a large black chest with it's padlock open. I sat backwards in a chair behind her, arms on the back, head on my arms, listening in.

"And I never really understood why he kept all of these books locked away. He said that they were special or something, but really, what harm can a book do?"

"Knowledge is power." I said and both girls whipped around. I waved a hand at them. "Hiya."

"Hey boss, thought you were down stairs."

"I was, but now Wulf is down stairs, and I think he's lonely. Why don't you go talk to him Emily?"

"I won't know what he says."

"Google it." she shrugged.

"Okay." she galloped towards the stairs. "HEY WULF!" I looked after her for a minute.

"That girl is odd." Raven stood, book in hand.

"You're right, knowledge is power, but some powers are more dangerous than others." she held up the book "This is a copy of a work thought to have been lost millenia ago. A dangerous work." I stared at her. Was she expecting me to say something?

"Yup." she narrowed her gaze as I kept talking, trying to distract her "See that elevator over there? Goes straight to my living room. My house has three stories."

"Where did you get this?" So the fact that I lived under my store couldn't distract her, usually it was a great distraction.

"Really? A three story under ground house? That doesn't distract you?" she gave me her 'look' "From a man with a lot of books and a LOT of spare time." AKA The Ghost Writer

"Where did _he_ get it?" She _is_ persistent.

"I guess he copied it from the original." i.e. from Clockwork

"Who is this man?"

"He prefers anonymity." cue annoyed eye narrowing

"So how did you convince him to give it to you?"

"I asked him nicely. He's got like, twelve so...it wasn't that big a deal to him."

"Daniel," she started off slowly. When will people learn?

"Danny."

"Whatever. Danny, this is neither the most dangerous, nor the rarest book in that chest."

"I know."

"And you just...sell them?" I shrugged and stood up, walking over to the chest.

"I've read all of them, so I know not to just give them away. I'm a good judge of character and I only give them to people who meet my standards."

"How good of a judge are you?"

"I'd sell to you...Demoness." her eyes shot open and her voice frantic

"How do you-" she took a moment to compose herself, and in a calmer voice she tried again "How do you know what I am?" I nodded to the chest.

"Biiiig green book on the bottom." she got the big green book titled _'People'_ out. It was a foot and a half wide and two feet tall. The binding was cracked and it was barely an inch thick. She opened it to the first yellowed page and stared in confusion. She turned the next page, and to the next, and the next, and the next. She flipped through the entire book and looked at me.

"It's blank." I nodded "So what's the trick?" I take the book and close it. I demonstrated as I narrate.

"Put your hand on the cover. Clear your mind. Think of a person, let's say you, either by their name, first and last, and middle if you have it, or by a clear picture of their face." I open the book to the first page and watch as in beautiful calligraphy the label 'Rachael Roth AKA Raven' and a black and white brush portrait of Raven were quickly inked. I handed the book to her and her eyes widened when she saw this. She turned the page and read and as she kept reading her eyes kept expanding. She read her description with a picture of her next to it, then on the next page a summation of her past, and on the next page a list of her abilities and attributes, then detailed family tree of her mother's side and on the next page, of her father's. I know because I use it a lot, it's very detailed. By the time she was halfway through the book she was paler than usual and her eyes couldn't be any wider. She shut the book. She was shaking. She spoke tersely, through clenched teethe.

"This is an invasion of privacy."

"And a very useful tool, which is why I made it in the first place, to reflect on myself. It's the only book of it's kind you know. Let me show you, close the book, put your hand on the front, picture yourself and think 'Is this person good or evil?'" she did what I said, and put her hand on the cover. Her hand shook, not able to bring herself to open the book. I put my hand on hers, steadying it. "The answer might surprise you." with my hand on hers we opened the book. The picture was still there and she turned the page. It read. 'Rachael has the potential for deeds of both great heroism and terrible evil. She fights every day to suppress her darker nature and strives towards the light. She is neither purely good nor evil, as is true for every soul.' she stared at the book, re-reading the words.

"This doesn't give me an answer."

"No, it doesn't. It tells you what you already know. I choose to judge people by what they do, not who or what they are. I judge you by the lives you _choose_ to save, not the evil your father does. Or what he intends you to be." her eyes, if possible, got wider, and her skin even paler.

"You know?"

"I know."

"How much do you know?"

"I asked your name, and what you were. No offense but humans don't have purple hair. All I know is your name, that you're half demon, made to be a portal for your father, and that you're good. You're right, that book _is_ an invasion of privacy. Which is why I keep it safe and rarely use it on others."

"Have you told anyone?"

"No. Who would I tell? What would I gain?" she was silent, hugging the book to her chest. "Take it home if you want, and bring it back when you're done. Try..." I hesitated, but...I trusted her. It was something that hadn't happened in a long time. I don't know why, but I did. And fair was fair. I turned away from her, putting the books back in the chest and locking it up."Try 'Daniel Fenton', and keep what you find to yourself." I walked past her and go downstairs. She follows me down past Wulf and Emily.

"Danny, what-" I kept walking.

"I've given the book instructions to let only you input my name. You can ask the book any question about anyone but it won't always answer you."

"Danny-" I'm behind the counter now.

"Goodbye Raven." she stopped, and pulled up her hood, clutching the book to her.

"Goodbye Danny." Black shadows encased her form and retreated into the ground, taking her with them. Wulf and Emily came up to me.

"Ĉu vi bone amiko?"

"Want me to handle the store today boss?"

"No," I leaned my elbows on the counters and wiped my face with my hands "I'm okay. It's just one of those days."


	4. In Which They Gather

CH3

Raven did as he said. She placed her hand on the cover, cleared her mind, and thought 'Daniel Fenton'. She opened it to the first page and stopped at what she saw. She was surprised to say the least. She was berating herself for not noticing it earlier. It was obvious. And yet, such a small change as a small eye mask, and some bright clothes hid Robin. Why couldn't a different hair color, a different eye color and a tiny change of clothes hide Danny? His face was the same, and so was his voice. How could no one notice what this book told her after just a few seconds?

On the first page were two pictures and two lines of text. One picture was a portrait of a young man with raven hair and sparkling eyes, a smile on his lips. The other was a portrait of a scowling snowy haired man, with glowing eyes, very similar the one on the left side of the page. Under the left it read Danny Fenton. Under the right, it read Danny Phantom AKA Thanatos. But how could he be alive and yet claim to be dead at the same time? The book started to scrawl out an answer and she slammed it shut. If she was going to learn anything, it was him that was going to tell her.

Raven was tempted to use the book to look into the pasts of her team mates. She was sorely tempted, but she resisted. Just barely. After two days of studying herself in the book, she was satisfied, and ready to return it. She would go back later to borrow it, but for now, she was satisfied. She was still curious about Danny, but she didn't need the book to satisfy her curiosity, not when she could ask the source. But first she was going to have a talk with someone. She had to make a phone call first though. She didn't know Danny's number so she used the book. He was right, it was a useful tool. She called him and he picked up.

"Hello?" he sounded like he had just woken up, it was Saturday after all

"It's Raven." she said

"Oh." dismissive "Oh." realizing "Oh." depression, then apprehensively he asked "So...what did you learn?"

"I learned Fenton and Phantom. Thanatos? Really? Was really the best you could come up with?"

"It was an on the spot thing, I didn't think I'd ever use it again!" he defended "So...what else?"

"Nothing else."

"What do you mean?"

"You could have invaded my privacy a lot more than learning my species and, inadvertently, my father's plans, but you didn't. I gave you the same respect when I realized who you were." there was silence "I was thinking of returning the book today."

"Uh, yeah sure, come on down, but uh, can you do it before...six?"

"That's reasonable, but I have a request..."

623623623

Raven walked into the common room, book in hand. It was eleven in the morning and everyone was sitting around. They noticed Raven come in. She was usually the first up.

"Robin, we need to have a team meeting." he gave her a curious look but said

"Sure, uh, everybody, get in here." Soon everyone was on the couch. "So what is it Raven?"

"I have something to show all of you."

"What?" she held up the book

"Look inside." the team crowded around but when they looked inside Beastboy screwed up his face

"Dude, it's just a bunch of blank pages."

"Please friends, I do not understand." Robin knew better though

"It's magic isn't it?"

"Probably. Cyborg, may we use you as an example?" the teen was confused but went along with it.

"Uh, sure?" Raven took the book, closed it and after clearing her mind and pictured his face, opened it for everyone to see. There was a picture of him before the implants, and a picture after, each labeled. The before was labeled at Victor Stone, the after as merely Cyborg. She began to read the next page.

"Victor Stone was a straight A student with two loving parents who passed on their genius level intellect to him. In high school Victor began to make some new friends who got him into sports, much to his parents disapproval." Cyborg paled "He began to train his body so it would be equal to his intellect and after two years of intense effort, he succeeded. One night when he was visiting his parents at S.T.A.R. Labs his parents were working on a project involving dimensional gateways wh-"

"SHUT UP! How are you doing that!" Everyone looked in surprise as Raven turned to the back and Cyborg tried to understand.

"Page one, identification. Page two, description. Page three, initial history. Page four, family tree, mother. Page five, family tree, father. Page six, abilities and attributes. Page seven, friends. Page eight, enemies. Page nine, weaknesses. Page ten, history chapters list. Page eleven-" Cyborg had snatched the book out of her hands and was going through it page by page by page by page.

"No way. No way man! NO WAY! How does it know this? I never told _anybody_ about this! This can't be right! Are these stats accurate?" He stopped going through it for and looked at Raven. "Raven, what's with this book?" He was seriously freaked out.

"Place your hand on the cover and clear your mind, then think of a name, first and last, or a clear picture of someone's face, and it will tell you almost everything you care to know about them. If it's not listed you can ask it specifically just how you would summon other information. For example." she took the book back "How tall is Cyborg?" She opened the book to his portraits and turned the page, the only thing written on it was 6' 5".

"Yo man, this is...I don't know what it is, but I don't think I like it." Robin spoke up, determined.

"Neither do I. Raven...why are you showing us this book?"

"It was made so a person could reflect upon their life, their actions, and come to peace, or at the very least better themselves. It's a heady thing. That's not all it can do either, it can answer mundane questions too, or help recover lost memories as I have discovered. I am offering each of you the chance to explore the book before I take it to Danny today." Robin shot up.

"Danny! That jerk? Raven I forbid you to give it to him. Why would you ever even think of giving that guy something like this?" she rolled her eyes

"You can't forbid it Robin, it's _his_ book."

"Say what?" this was Cyborg surprisingly enough. "What's a dude like him doin' with a thing like this?"

"It doesn't matter." Robin said "He won't be getting it back." everyone looked at him "I don't trust him, especially with this kind of power. Do you even realize what he could do with this? He could let out the secret identities of every hero in the world! Find anyone, anywhere, know their deepest darkest secrets! Do you trust him with power like that?" that got uneasy looks from everyone but Raven.

"It doesn't matter Robin, he said he _made_ it. He also said he made it so he could reflect on his life. Looking in this is his personal private hobby and I bet he could easily make another." that surprised everyone "Do you _really_ want _two_ of these things floating around Robin? Right now he's letting me borrow it. I called him today and asked if he would let me offer each of you a chance at it and he agreed, but only for an hour each, afterwards you would have to ask him for it."

"I don't like this."

"You don't have to Robin." she sighed "Look, he obviously hasn't unmasked any heroes and I don't think he'll start now." he was unconvinced "In the place he kept this book there were several others easily a thousand times more dangerous. Books that could end the world or even the universe, books to change time, control hearts, alter and disrupt reality, traverse dimensions, kill masses with a thought." Everyone's eyes widened at that

"AND YOU JUST LEFT THEM THERE?"

"Don't yell at me Robin. I said 'could'. The same books can easily be used to reverse those said effects, repair reality, restore the time stream and save countless lives. All knowledge is to be judged in application, not existence. Even books preaching hate can be useful in deciphering a madman or in teaching the end result of wrongful actions. Compared to the aforementioned books, this book isn't all that dangerous, merely a 'useful tool'." she said, using Danny's words "It's a tool and he's letting us use it. It would not be wise to refuse such an offer. I suggest you take it. So, who want's to go first?" Cyborg was nervous and quiet.

"Uh, since I'm sort of already in it right now, maybe I could?"

"Alright." she handed him the book "Bring it back when your hour is over." He nodded and headed off to his room "Who wants to go next?"

"Friend Raven, might I be next?" asked Starfire.

"Then me! Then me!" insisted a certain hyper changeling. Robin had a look on his face

"I want to spend a little more time with it Raven."

"It won't work Robin." Robin knew she was smart but he didn't expect her to figure it out so quickly

"What?"

"He set locks on the the book so that if you asked about him or Thanatos it wouldn't work."

"How do you know?"

"He told me when I asked to let you use it. He also said that it was to annoy you since he _won't_ talk to you and you _can't_ talk to Thanatos ever since he blew up and attacked that robot thing."

"Fine, but I'm going to talk to him."

"No you're not. Not for the next four four days. He banned you from his store for a week, remember?"

"How did you know that? You weren't even there!"

"Beastboy wont shut up about it." Robin looked at Beastboy and Beastboy ran away.

"I'm going to get him later."

"Beastboy or Danny?"

"Yes."

"Well, don't try anything too drastic, he let me use the book on him and he would most assuredly win if you fought." many things crossed Robin's face before he settled on one.

"Why did he let you use it on him?"

"He had his reasons."

"Why are you suddenly defending him?"

"Because...he knows things about me that you don't, and he didn't even blink when he saw the worst side of me. He accepted me." Robin's mask narrowed

"He used the book."

"Yes, he used the book. But he only asked what I was. Inadvertently he learned something else. I can sense when people are lying and he wasn't."

"Raven, that he used it at all shows that he can't be trusted."

"Please, friends, no more arguing over new friend Danny. He has not harmed us in any way nor has he betrayed us. Should we not merely talk with him?" Raven looked at her optimistic friend, who was right for once.

"Starfire, that's exactly what I plan to do. I'm going to talk to him when I return the book." she began to leave "And Robin, I talked to Thanatos, he said that the whole Thanatos thing was an on the spot name, he said to tell you that his real name is Phantom. Just Phantom."

623623623

I hung up the phone and went back to sleep for another three hours. I'd stayed up late last night and now I'm tired. And hungry, but mostly tired.

I woke up again and checked the time, just after two. I can work with that. Sit up, yawn, go to gym. Set the iPod on shuffle and blast music through the gym. Eminem, Godsmack, Metallica, Gaga, Metallica again, Kiss, Poison, the Beatles, Drowning Pool, Bach, 3-OH-3, Joe Satriani, Paramore, Miley Cyrus...party in the USA only, I swear, Disturbed, Papa Roach, Katy Perry, Metallica again (thank you Ember), No Doubt, Bowling Soup, Elvis, the Gorrilaz, Nickleback, Eminem again, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Guns n Roses, Pink!, and on and on. Two hours after I started I decide that it's enough for today, so make my way over to the shower. I need a shower, a nice long luxurious skin scalding shower, because today is Saturday. The store was closed on Saturdays. I see my friends on Saturdays. I can work out however I want on Saturdays. Saturdays, are _my_ days, and I _love_ it. Well, at least I tried to take a long shower, midway through my ghost sense went off and a chill went down my spine. Really? Now? Not an hour ago when I was working out and ready to kick but? Then again it might just be an early visitor. *sigh* Time to get out. I phased most of the water from myself and put a towel around my waist. Hardly three steps past my bed I hear

"Eeeeee! Danny!" there's white and black blur half a second before it barrels into me. I'm on my back, the blur on top of me and I'm feeling very dazed, for now. "Hey." I look at the blur and say in a perfectly pleasant, obviously fake voice

"Hi Dani. What brings you here so early?" she sat up on me

"Wulf wanted to ask Emily out on a date. I was his moral support."

"Really? What did she say?"

"That he can't come to dinner with everyone else tonight because he'll be taking her out." Dinner, what time was it? Survey says - 5:12 - damn, time flies.

"That's nice, can I put on some pants now?" A new voice came

"I think we would all appreciate that." I look over and see, what do you know, Raven.

"Raven, of course, can this get any more perfect?" I look at Dani and she smiles sheepishly

"Did I mention I brought someone over? She says she came to give something back."

"Dani, what did I tell you about bringing strangers into my house?"

"But she's not a stranger! She's Raven! A Teen Titan! Just like you!" she hits me, hard

"Ow! What was that for?" I rub arm. What? She has super strength.

"Why didn't you tell me you're a Titan?"

"I don't _want_ to be a Titan, don't you watch TV? Me telling everyone that I'm done with the hero business was all over the news." She rolled off of me and dropped her head over the side of the bed with her feet on my stomach "Comfy much?" she shifted her feet a bit and turned over into her stomach

"No, your stomach isn't a good foot rest, your abs are too hard."

"Well then, sorry I work out. TV?" she shifted again, she was nervous.

"I don't watch TV, it doesn't fit in my backpack. Hey...can I crash here for a while?"

"What? Yeah, you can crash here, you're my little girl and it's your house too. I left your room the same." Dani jumped up and kissed my cheek

"Thanks Daddy." then she left to put her stuff in the bedroom. I sit up and find Raven giving me a strange look, dear lord, is that all she does?

"What?"

"She has a room?"

"She's family. Mind turning around?" she stared silently for a moment then turned. "What's wrong with my baby having a room," I put on some underwear under my towel then tossed it on the bed. Pants next. "a place to come back to when she get's tired of drifting?" Boxers, check. Pants, check. "You can turn around now." I was rooting around for some deodorant and a shirt. Socks? Nah. Not for a while.

"Why not just go invisible?" I _looked_ at her.

"Just _because_ you can't see anything doesn't mean it won't be freakishly awkward to have you looking at me naked, even if you _can't_ see anything." she seemed to think for a second

"Good point. Danny, I need to talk to you." a chill crawls down my spine and I turn to the doorway, that girl.

"Just a sec. Dani, I know you're there." she fades into sight

"How do you always know?"

"Because," I create a duplicate behind her and through him I say "I'm everywhere." She freaks and squeals. I of course, laugh

"Danny! Don't _do_ that!" she hits the duplicate before it fades and she pouts at me "It's not fair, you know I can't do that yet."

"Fair-schmair, don't spy on me."

"Are you two always this mature?" we both look at Raven and say

"She/He started it!"

"Azar, you two are like Beastboy and Cyborg. All of you are so childish." Dani flew up to the ceiling

"I'm three, I _have_ an excuse." Raven looks at me

"Hey, I'm her father and thus a recovering mental patient, you really expect me to act normal?" Sam. Crap. Well, this is shaping up to be a fine day. Time for a white t-shirt. Spectra will be happy. "Why are you here again Raven?"

"The book."

"Oh, yeah." I make a duplicate to put the book back "Duplicates, gotta love 'em. So, how'd they like the book?"

"You gave her the book?"

"Do you even know which book we're talking about?"

"No, but whenever you give someone a book it's 'super important' or something." I rolled my eyes at her

"The book I made for myself." nothing "The big green one?" nada "The one you used to find out where Gerard Way lived so you could go haunt him?" she blushed "Ah, _now_ you remember."

"Shut up." Raven looked at Dani

"Gerard Way?" Dani blushed some more

"He's hot." Raven shook her head

"No, I mean, who is Gerard Way?" Dani gaped at Raven and I laughed my ass off. Oh it was going to be fun to watch Dani talk about the singer to Raven who really couldn't care less past initial curiosity. And it was, for five minutes, then it was annoying. Fatally annoying.

"-and he-"

"Dani!"

"What! I was talking here!"

"You can torture Raven later, she said she needed to talk to me." Dani glared "When we go to Giovanni's I'll let you get two dishes." she crossed her arms and slumped down against the wall

"And two deserts." I rolled my eyes,

"And two deserts." she brightened immediately and ran over to hug me and kiss me on the cheek

"Thank's Daddy you're the best."

"Yech!" I push her off of me "Off with you devil child! Man the portal! Call in our orders! Raise the creature on the platform, Igor!"

"It's I-Gor!"

"Frau Bluka!" she immediately whinnied like a horse and we both laughed as she flew to the basement where I kept the ghost portal. Raven was looking at me weird again.

"I take it back, you two are weirder than Beastboy and Cyborg."

"What, you've never seen _Young_ _Frankenstein_?" she shook her head, "Aw man, it's a classic. Wanna borrow it?"

"Danny."

"I know, I know, we need to" air quotes "talk." I said it in a mock ominous voice "But before that, I never got an answer from you. The book?"

"It...they were more somber when they returned it to me. They each had something to think about, or several somethings."

"Good. That's how it's supposed to work." I'm off in a daze for a moment, thinking sad thoughts. Sam. Smiling a sad smile. Sam. I shake myself free "So, what's up?"

"I want to talk to you about...you." I think for a second

"Here, let me get dressed up for you." she looked confused

"You _are_ dressed." I smirked. A ring formed around my waist, pure contained white light, it split in two and they moved up and down my body changing me. I glowed, became insubstantial, my clothes were changed and all black, my hair went white and my eyes green. My core temperature dropped to below freezing while my skin only cooled by a few degrees. _"Now,_ I'm dressed, mostly."

"Interesting." I walked to my dresser and exchanged my black shirt for a white one and a black tee over it. Both were from my dresser of Kevlar clothes. I cocked my head at her.

"Raven...do you want to go to dinner with me?" Raven stood shocked for a moment then blushed. Guess she wasn't expecting that.

"W-what? What exactly are you asking me?" I spoke slowly

"Do you. Want. To go. To din-ner. With me. At Gi-o-van-ni's." she was still blushing

"Where did this come from? Why are you asking me this?" I stared at her, what was she not getting? Still speakin' slow.

"Because we're about to go to dinner, at Giovanni's, and you still need to talk to me. I'm offering you free food and a chance to talk." I smile "The company isn't that bad either." She flushed. Now she was glowering at me. She was angry? Well, I _was_ rude, but really, it was a simple question.

"I might tend to disagree with that. Also, don't talk to me like I'm a moron." Yep, she was pissed. I sighed, today was supposed to be a good day. Sam. When did the Titans start ruining my life? Sigh.

"Look, I'm sorry, today just didn't turn out as nice as I would have liked. You want to go to dinner? Not everyone is as much of a jerk as I am, and if it's any help Dani will be there."

"A fan girl raving about a singer is not my idea of 'help'." I chuckle

"No? Maybe I meant you'll be screaming for help after five minutes to get her to shut up."

"Hey!" a Dani complained "I'm not _that_ bad." she crossed her arms and sat on the ceiling as a teen with short flaming red hair, sunglasses, red heels, and a red skirt-suit came in. Her voice was 'Peppy!' on steroids. The kind of peppy that drove people to random acts of violence.

"Actually sweetie, you are! Why do you think I always have you talk?" hello Spectra "Hello Danny-kins!" Raven looked at this new arrival

"Who's the teen business woman?"

"Spectra, she's a ghost who feeds on misery to keep herself young. Unless she feeds she gets older than dust." Spectra struck a pose

"And with the amount of misery you give off I'm able to stay young and beautiful for weeks at a time!" she pulled a small black bottle from...somewhere. Hammerspace much? "I can even bottle some for a sunny day, and let me tell you Danny-kins, you keep me _well_ stocked!" Raven was wary of her

"I ask again, who is this?" *sigh*

"She's my therapist. It's her goal in life is to make me miserable. In return she helps me deal. So, why are you here" check watch "fifteen minutes early?"

"I want to talk to you about sharing your trauma with everyone! Not now of course, but think about it, we'll talk after dinner, 'kay?" Raven shied back from the sheer levels of pep in her voice

"Why is she so happy?"

"To annoy us. Effective isn't it?" Spectra put an arm around each of us

"It should be, after all, I've had _ages_ to perfect it! Just think, when you grow old and die, I'll be thriving on the misery you're giving me _right now_! Isn't that _fun_?"

"Why do you keep her around again?"

"She may make you feel like crap half the time, but she actually _is_ a great therapist. Plus, since she's tried to kill me, she knows about a lot of the stuff I've gone through." Raven shook her head

"Your logic is twisted."

"Wait 'til you see my house."

"What's this, your shed?" I roll my eyes

"My other house, in the ghost zone. My _lair_ if you will."

"Is it _really_ styled after Escher, _M.C. Escher?_" I laugh

"Yup, and I'll even let you throw Beastboy in there if he gets too annoying. The gravity in there is so messed up flight is impossible, and there are more rooms than there should be for doors. Unless you know the trick you can't get out. It's fun to watch people try though." I laugh again

"I'm almost afraid to ask, which work is it styled after?"

_"Relativity,_ only its a lot bigger and a bit more spacious." She looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I still was. But I point out "I could have gone for the second _Metamorphosis,_ or _Other World_, or _Convex and Concave._" she took a moment to consider the physical impossibilities of such places existing let alone anything actually living in them, and shook her head, trying to clear it.

"Seriously twisted."

"Yup, that's me, twisted."

"Wait 'til you see the dipstick's house." We all turn at the intrusion

"Hey Ember. Hi Kitty, Johnny." they greeted me as they all came in.

"Dipstick." Ember inclined her head and came towards me

"Hey Big D." Kitty came over and hugged me.

"My man." Johnny and I did our little 'cool guy' hand thing. Ember stood next to me

"Took me three hours to get past the first door."

"Two minutes." bragged Kitty

"Four days." Johnny was sullen that it took him that long Ember punched my arm

"Ow!" I rubbed my arm "Why is everyone hitting me?"

"It's fun. And I lost my boot at your place, and I _still_ haven't found it."

"Then you still haven't realized it yet. And stop drawing on my walls!"

"Navigation. I _will_ figure it out one day, _without_ you leading me around."

"Would you stop drawing if I just _gave_ you your boot back?"_  
_

"Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah," I reach under my bed and pull it out "right here." she snatched it away and shot daggers from her eyes, ooh, she was irked "Now stop drawing on my walls!"

"Dipstick."

"Bitch." she shrugged, Kitty and Johnny smiled. Spectra was still smiling and Dani came down from the ceiling asking me

"So when are we leaving?"

"Now." We all looked to see a woman with long silky black hair covering one eye and going to the back of her knees. She wore, a blue chest wrap, four silver metal arm bands and several silver bracelets with blue harem girl pants and small blue slippers. She was a Woman, not just a woman but a _WO-MAN._ What was the most un-usual about her however was not her outfit or her being a _woman,_ was that her skin was eerily glowing and green.

"Exactly how many people are coming?" Raven asked me. I shrugged and looked to Desiree who's walking closer

"Raven Desiree, Desiree Raven. Raven, quick survival guide, don't ever say the words 'I wish' around Desiree, she's a genie. She doesn't _have_ to grant wishes anymore because of a wish I made," I hug Desiree "but she still has a sadistic streak and can twist words and bend meanings and implications like you wouldn't believe. She can create loopholes out of nothing and have you selling your soul for a chance at something you would never want in a million years." Desiree blushed, it was high praise for her "And we wouldn't have you any other way Desi. Do you know if Walker is coming? What about Pandora? Frostbite? Dorathea?"

"No, Daniel, they are not, neither are the Box Ghost or the Lunch Lady. There was an outbreak from Walker's prison and George (The Box Ghost) was harmed. Sue (The Lunch Lady) is tending to him." I paled and a shiver went down my spine

"Oh god, it's finally happening. Oh gross!" Everyone looked at me "I'll tell you later, I don't want to ruin your appetite." Now everyone was looking at me with that 'we desperately want to know what you know so spill it now' look "Trust me, you do not want to know." Shiver "Alright everybody, let's get out of my freaking bedroom and go to dinner."


	5. In Which They Dine, Whine and Get Ready

CH4

"AH! The Belle Bambina and her friends!" came a booming voice accented in Italian a large old man with grey hair and a white chef's outfit. He went to Dani and took her hand and kissed it. He always makes her happy. Then he turned to me and Raven "And what's this? We have two Titans as well! A new friend and an old one!" I walked up and hugged the cheery and aged old man. Old but strong. He did the manly cheek kiss thing, grasping my arms with cries of 'Danny-boy!' and 'Giovanni!' then he proceeded to greet everyone else. He spent _extra_ time greeting and flirting with Desiree. She smiled, flirted back and called him 'young one', she always did, to her he _is_ young "Danny my boy! I saw you on the TV! You have quite the temper. You must set an example for your bambina" he scolded me

"Yeah, I know I need to work on it." I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly

"Ahhh, is no problemo. I know _you,_ I know you are _good,_ you would not hurt an-y-body. Come! Come! Your table is ready and I even have room for your _beautiful_ new friend!" he took us to our usual table outside, even pulling Raven's chair out for her. When everyone was seated he looked at Raven appraisingly "You want-a the chicken parmigiana, I know. I will bring it to you myself!"

"But I haven't even looked at the menu yet." Desiree waved her hand at her statement

"Don't worry Raven, when Giovanni orders for you, you never regret it." Giovanni bowed at the praise, a smile on his face

"I'm-a send my daughter, Belinda to take you drink orders eh? Jus' sit tight and everything will be ready soon, jus' uno momento!" he turned and made his way to the kitchens. Moments later a blonde woman came out of the kitchen, smiling when she spotted the odd group.

"Allo Daniel." she had an accent, just not an Italian accent "Who is your friend?"

"Belinda, this is Raven. Raven, Belinda." Raven looked to Belinda

"Are you Russian?" she asked and Belinda rolled her eyes until Raven's next question "Or Ukrainian?" Belinda smiled

"Ukrainian. Not many know the difference."

"I don't. Do you have Chai?" Belinda smirked

"Yes. My pa-pa, he indulges me. You would like some?" Raven nodded

"Please."

"Very good." She looked to the rest of the table "And none of you have changed your preferences?" and no one had "Jawohl, they will be ready shortly." and with that, she left. Not five minutes later she was back with the drinks, including a small tea pot for Raven's Tea, and twelve minutes later, our food.

"You know," said Raven in the middle of their meal, everyone talking and telling stories, or just enjoying their food "this wasn't such a bad idea after all."

The group managed to get through the meal and desert, both of which Dani had doubled up on and devoured still having room in her small body for more somehow, much to only Raven's surprise. They paid the check and began their walk to Danny's shop. Everything considered, it had been a nice night. Then the group rounded the corner just in time to see Robin trying to pick the lock to Danny's front door, which was actually impossible to open without the correct ectoplasmic signature. Dani had the same DNA and the same energy and so the same signature. Although much weaker than Danny's own it was still powerful none the less, which is how she got Raven in, otherwise she'd just phase through the ground. I cleared my throat.

"Hello Robin." Immediately he jumped up and whipped out way, in a fighting stance and with a bo-staff in his hands "My, jumpy aren't we? Could it be due to the fact that that breaking and entering is illegal?"

"Phantom! What are you doing here?" he seemed to catch sight of all of my companions. "And who are they?"

"You are so _very_ rude now aren't you?"

"What?"

"Demanding to know what business law abiding citizens have walking down the streets, and who they are...little rude don't you think?" Robin's mask got narrow

"They don't look like any citizens I've ever seen." his voice came out in I guess what he meant to be a threatening manner

"Yeah well, neither do you, and if you're so worried about what we might do then why not just ask Raven?" I stepped aside and pointed to Raven who had been speaking with Desiree about magics or something, whatever I heard from the two of them I tended to tune them out. Its an acquired skill. "She was with us the entire time." His eyes widened when he saw her and heard my statement.

"Raven! What are _you_ doing here? What were you doing with...with _them_?"

"They were treating me to dinner."

"_Dinner_?" he asked incredulously

"Yes."

"What were you doing going to dinner with them?"

"I ate. I talked. I learned."

"And what did you 'learn'?" insolent impertinent obnoxious little asshole. Raven felt the need for an evil smile, however all she did was turn to her companion.

"Never say the words 'I wish' around Desiree."

"Yeah, sure." Raven glared at him

"Desiree, I wish he believed." Desiree smirked an evil smirk

"So you have wished it, so it shall _be._" there was a flash of pink smoke and seconds later Robin was in a female ballerina's outfit matched to his colors, except for the pink foil wings of course. He looked at his outfit.

"Okay, I believe." then he threw down some smoke pellets and vanished.

"So...who's up for story time?" We all look at Spectra.

623623623

"So Danny, what's your trauma?" Spectra asks in that god awful happy tone. I look around at the curious faces, so reminiscent of my evil.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yeah."

"No."

"Of course."

"Please?"

"Not really."

"That's what we're here for!"

"Your secrets are your own."

"...I think the 'aye's have it, unfortunately." I sigh, sitting in on my couch looking around and I hang my head. They are silent, listening to me as in a desolate voice I begin

"Eight years in the future...a tyrant rules. He has taken over the earth, and destroyed everything, killed everyone. Before he finishes destroying each city, he rapes, tortures and pillages the last choice survivors before killing them too. I have seen this happen with my own eyes, been present as the future played out." I still haven't looked at anyone.

"The earth is consumed in flames, the oceans are acid, they are lava, or they have just dried up. The soil is a rocky waste where nothing grows, and not even bacteria live. The human race is an endangered species. Heroes mean nothing, he has killed them all. Villains mean nothing, they have banded together to try to stop this new threat, but to no avail." Everyone is staring intently at my tortured face, not speaking, Raven paler than usual. She whispers

"Trigon." I smile and laugh a humorless laugh.

"I wish, he's much worse, he actually drove Trigon off." I look off through time and continue my tale

"As he kills off droves of humans, he goes into the ghost zone, and eradicates their spirits, destroying anything and everything he sees. He breaks all defenses, shrugs off all attacks, and destroys all who oppose him." I have to breath, my memory catching up with me

"By the time he extinguishes the last lives Amity Park, the last gathering of humans, of any life on earth, there are only nine other entities left in existence. He leaves his defeated arch enemy broken in his crumbling castle, Plasmius merely Masters now. The Fright Knight, his minion and harbinger. The Box Ghost who has become a threat. Johnny, an old man, frail and weak, broken in a wheelchair. Kitty, who has become nothing more than a dried up shell of her current self. Ember, a fat old cow, her vocal chords destroyed, her confidence with it. SkulTech, Technus combining with Skulker's armor into one highly advanced, highly deadly being. And still exists Clockwork, who shall exist so long as time does." I let a single tear escape

"Once he had eradicated all...he traveled back though time, to ensure his future was on course." I can do this, probably "To ensure the event that turns him pure evil happens, he goes back in time, and stages his friend's and family's deaths...the death of his love, and he ensured that his past self watched it, powerless."

"Who is it?" someone asks. My head stays down. It's now or never.

"His hair is...is a white inferno." my hair lights on fire, pure white

"His skin, is blue, with the chill of death." I feel my ice core spread through me, freezing me, turning my skin blue

"He has fangs, to tear his enemies throats from their necks." I feel my fangs descending, puncturing my lips, making them bleed

"His tongue is forked from the lies he tells, and the blood he drinks." My now forked tongue flicks out and cleans the blood from my lips

"He wears darkness as his cloak," the light around me dims to near blackness

"Pure power is his gravity." and my power pours from my skin, oppressing all around me, causing the very walls to shake

"His eyes, they glow red, reflecting the blood of all he had slaughtered, the blood that clouded his vision, the blood spilled over everything." My eyes bleed to red and I look up, my eyes glowing in my darkness, lighting their terrified faces in a torturous glow

"His name, is Danny Phantom."

623623623

"His name, is Danny Phantom."

I stood there in shock, watching him, watching nothing, taking everything in. He...I...we..._him_...I didn't know what to say. I don't know what I could say. I don't know if I could even _move. _The power radiating from him was oppressive, I felt it in my bones, he was powerful, _so powerful._ How could such power reside in such a small, seemingly normal form? So much power, so close to me, I couldn't breath, I-_I_ _couldn't breath!_ Panic started to set in, but even as it did the power receeded back to wherever it had come from. No, not wherever, _him_, it had come from him, and he was bringing it back. Finally I took a shaky, gasping breath, then a few more. Such power. Such control. He could easily destroy this entire city, and from what he told us, the entire world some day. Everyone was looking at him, fear plain on their faces, and he looked at us, pain clear on his. The darkness receded, his eyes brightened to green, his fangs retracted and his skin slowly tanned. His hair diminished, but did not go out.

"D-Danny?" everyone turned to look at Danielle. "You're not going to turn into that are you? You can't. You, you're my daddy and, and you can't be evil! You're my _daddy_ and _daddies_ are _not_ evil! You are _not_ turning into that! I don't care _what_ I have to do, you just _aren't!_ I'm not going to lose you! I won't!"

"Danielle," he said softly

"I won't!" she was tearing up

"Danielle," he stepped towards her and she lunged at him, beating his chest with her fists

"I won't! I won't! I won't! I won't!" he was holding her in his arms, shushing her even as he rubbed her back and consoled her with soft words even as she continued to sob "I won't!" she gave his chest one last half hearted hit and he picked her up in his arms and held her to his chest like he would a child "I won't." she sobbed, sounding more like a plea

"Don't worry Danni, I'll never turn into that, I promise. I promise." he looked at everyone in the room, and paused for a second, holding his daughter in his arms. He glared at the floor and a swirling green vortex of power opened up. "If you could all please leave, I would appreciate it." his eyebrow twitched. "And Raven, could you answer that? It's getting damned annoying." It took me a few seconds to realize what he was talking about, my Titans communicator was going off, and it just occurred to me that it had been for a few minutes but I had been too shocked to notice. He walks away with Dani while I fumbled for a moment before opening the device.

"Raven! We need to know what that massive energy surge was!" meanwhile the ghosts were silently debating with themselves and then leaving into the portal

"What did it feel like?"

"Like...power. Like my bones were being shaken right from my flesh. Like...a void of life. Like death. Raven, didn't you feel it?" I could see how shaken Robin was from this admission.

"I was there. Where are you now?"

"In the tower, we're gearing up to investigate the source of power and we need you to-"

"It's Phantom."

"What? Your signal puts you all the way across town!"

"It's Phantom. He...he gave us a demonstration, and a warning...he...he showed us what he _could_ be if he ever lost control. The power he holds, he could do anything he wants, but he holds himself in check, and a new fail-safe just came into play." Robin's eyes went calculative

"What fail-safe?"

"His daughter."

"HIS WHAT?"

"His daughter, Danielle. One of the reasons he's trying to be good is for her, and she just came home to him."

"We need to get him to the tower for a talk Raven."

"Not right now," said a voice from just over my shoulder, Phantom "I just put Danielle down for the night, we'll talk later Robin. Goodnight." He reached over my shoulder and closed my communicator. "Raven, I hate to kick you out, but please go back to the tower, I'm very tired and in no mood to deal with heroes." He closed the portal in his floor and walked off in the direction he took Dani. "Goodnight Raven." he called over his shoulder. After minutes of standing there, just...existing, my mind comes back to me and I say

"Goodnight Danny."

623623623

I wake feeling a small soft body at my side. I look down and see Danielle had snuck into my bed some time last night and curled up against me. I create a duplicate and send it off to make breakfast. This was the fourth time this week she had done this. I wasn't angry, she was my little girl, and I loved her, I wouldn't deny her any comfort I had. I lay there, stroking her hair, gently waking her from her slumber. After twenty minutes and the smell of bacon I call softly to her.

"Baby girl baby girl. Come on get up baby girl, it's time to get up."

"Fimmurminntsdadde."

"No, not five more minutes, now." I smirked "Then again, I guess you don't mind me getting _all_ the bacon again." She was up like a shot, sleep still in her eyes

"Meanie." I laugh at her and how adorable she looked and how sleepy she sounded.

"Maybe, but I'm the meanie who's going to get the bacon unless you're up and out in the next thirty seconds." she gave me a pout-y glare

"Super meanie." I laughed again as she got up and went to the breakfast table yawning, sleep in her eyes and her messed up hair. I get up myself and stretch. Oh SweetLordBabyJesusFuckingHEL L that feels good. I yawn, sounding like some prehistoric animal and walk to the breakfast table, seeing my duplicate laugh as Danielle hordes the _entire_ plate of bacon to herself. She looks at me and sticks her tongue out and I smile at her. Our happy breakfast is interrupted however by the shrill call of the communicator I had been studiously ignoring for the past two weeks. I continue to do so now. "Don't you think you should at least talk to him? What if they need your help?"

"If they really needed my help they'd send Raven. He's just trying to be a nosy jerk. Did you know he's tried eight times to break into the store?"

"Really? What happened?"

"He has a new respect for electricity...and flame throwers...and lasers...and hand written signs with the words 'Keep out, this means you Robin'." I smile maliciously for a second "And little red buttons with signs saying 'don't push me'." Dani looked at me

"You're mean, and you're good, but you're not _that_ good. How'd you do all that?"

"I wish I may, I wish I might, I wished to Desiree one night." she rolled her eyes

"So cheesy."

"My cheese goes with your whine."

"So dorky." she shifted a bit "Hey Danny?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think _I_ could be a Titan?" I freeze

"They're the _Teen_ Titans. You're three."

"But I'm grown the same as a thirteen year old."

"Do you really want to be a hero? On call at all hours, no matter what, putting duty before friends, boyfriends, personal happiness? Do you want to give up your early years? Scar your body? Your mind? Surrender your innocence?" I speak softly "Do you want to take the chance you'll end up like I did?"

"I want to help people."

"Okay, so help people. You don't have to join the Titans to do that. You don't have to get dragged into their battles. You should go to school, make friends, live a normal life."

"I never _had_ a normal life. I'm a clone of a half dead super hero. I'll never have a normal life."

"Have...have you had a happy one?"

"Of course Danny, I have you, you're the best dad anyone could ever hope for. I mean, you would do anything for me, and you love me so much. Of course I'm happy."

"The hero business isn't a happy one, it's not easy to keep up."

"Not by yourself, but if there was a team to help take care of it...please Danny?"

"...High school. You have to be in high school first. Then you have to see if you meet their standards, then if it doesn't interfere with your life too much, or your grades...then we'll talk." she squealed and hugged me around my neck

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet, you have to work for it. If you want it you have to fight for it." My communicator rang and Danielle whipped it out and opened it, shouting

"Robin we're trying to have a moment here so just shove it!" I heard an 'eep' on the other end then "You're not Robin."

"I am...sorry? Please, forgive me for not being whom you assumed I was, I merely have a request for Phantom."

"Danielle, give it here."

"And what would this request be?"

"Danielle!" she was floating near the ceiling playing keep away with me "Hey give it back!" I changed into Phantom and tackle her. She drops the communicator and we wrestle. It quickly turns into a high powered tickle fight and as all of this happens my Duplicate picks up my com and asks "What's the favor Star?"

"Robin is being forced to attend a festivity of dancing and music by a most horrid and blonde being called 'Kitten' or else her father will destroy the city. I do not trust her and wish to follow but to attend this dangerous 'Dance' I must bring a 'Date'. Will you be my date?" the fighting in the background stopped

"Let me get this straight, a madwoman is holding the city hostage for a dance with Robin and you want me to go with you as a date?"

"That is correct. You are the most powerful male I could bring. I know of no others on earth. Raven Beastboy and Cyborg are all attempting to track down the 'Killer Moth' and you are the only other being on this planet I know."

"I think you should go." came Danielle from over my shoulder. I look back at her

"Oh yeah? Why?"

"Because she's nice and asking you must have taken a lot of courage. Plus you never go dancing. Oh, can I come too? I've never been to a dance!"

"Who would you be going with?" she screws up her face for a while

"Frostbite?" coked eyebrows abound

"Not the best Idea."

"Wulf?"

"He has a girlfriend."

"W-"

"If you even suggest Walker or the Box Ghost I may vomit." she gives me a 'gross' face then glares at me

"I was going to ask you who _you_ thought I could go with."

"Hmmm...I've never noticed that most of my friends are female before." I grin evilly "Youngblood." she starts to freak on me so I quickly tell her "Joking! Joking!"

"Not funny!" she punches my arm

"Ow! Why does everyone hit me?" I sigh "Why don't you round up some of the ghost girls and have a girls night out sort of dance. I know Queen Dora would like that. That should be fun. Girl time, a chance to mess with people, break a few hearts. Ember says girls love that sort of stuff."

"Maybe. He'll go with you Starfire."

"WHAT!"

"Oh this is _most_ glorious! I shall go prepare! You shall 'lift me up' at seven of the clock tonight!"

"Pick you up, listen I-"

"That too! Thank you friend Phantom and friend Phantom's daughter! Farewell!" and with that she hung up and I turn to Danielle

"You are _so_ full dead."

"Gotta catch me first!" she declares before phasing through the ceiling. I chase after her and there are several incident reports of a laughing girl and a shouting teen chasing said girl throughout the city all day long. Finally, the time for the Dance had arrived.

"I swear I'm gunna kill you."

"Technically, since I _am_ you, that would be suicide. You're not _that_ crazy are you?" I glare at her

"Not crazy, irritated."

"Oh, please, it can't be _that_ bad."

"Easy for you to say, you weren't forced into this."

"That's because I'm not all gloomy and anti-social and destined to destroy the world."

"Hey! Not _destined_, just a very high probability to occur is all."

"Pot-ay-tos, pot-ah-tos."

"Whatever, I gotta go pick Starfire up. Get your girlfriends and do whatever, I'm leaving now."

"Oh wait!"

"What?"

"You have to give her this!" she hands me a

"Corsage? Thanks, I completely forgot...when did you have time to get this?"

"A girl has her ways." I roll my eyes

"Whatever. Thanks for the flower, I'm gone now." I pause as I get ready to leave "Anything else I almost screwed up?"

"Hmmm...I don't _think_ so, but you have a special ability to screw things up so just be careful."

"Gee, thanks."

"No problem dad, it's what I'm here for." she kisses me on my cheek "Have fun young man, and remember, back before midnight."

"You just want to sleep late and have me make you breakfast." I mumble under my breath "Okay, ready to go, bye." before we can drag this out any longer I teleport to the tower and look around. Huh, bigger than I thought. I pull out my com and call Star.

"Hello?"

"Hey Starfire, I'm outside of the tower, are you ready?"

"Yes, I am ready to 'get my groove on'."

"...oh Starfire." poor girl

"Yes?" I shake my head

"Nothing, nothing." This is going to be...interesting.


	6. In Which They Dance and Aggravate

_**A/N: Yes, I know that I'm screwing with the timeline by putting this episode up so soon, but I wanted to and really, it's not messing with much.**_

"Friend Phantom, what have you done to your communicator?" Starfire asked as we flew to the dance.

"Hmm? Oh, it was just a touch too cheery for me, so I added my own flare to it." My Com was now black, instead of yellow, and white were there was previously black. The red button was now neon green and instead of the Titan's symbol my own DP insignia was there instead on the cover. It still worked just the same, but now it looked cooler.

"Oh, I see, I did not know we could do that." she brightened "Perhaps you could help adorn _my_ communications device in a unique fashion!"

"Uh, sure, I guess." her smile was so bright I swear I might have gone blind from it. How can anyone be so...cheery? "So Starfire, I gotta ask, do you actually _know_ any earth dances?" we were touching down outside of the boat on which the party was being held.

"I believe so. I have learned the pokie of the hokie and the fox with the trots." Oh dear lord someone needed to teach her about earth slang and proper sentence structure.

"Starfire?"

"Yes friend Phantom?"

"Never say anything about anything having the trots." she opened her mouth to speak but I cut her off "Just don't." she closed her mouth. I held out my arm to her and she took it "Ready to have some fun?"

"Of course! And I shall be ready to stop all nefarious plots of the blonde crr'tang Kitten."

"Crr'tang?"

"It is a tamaranian translation of an earth insult. The female dog, yes?" I just laughed

"Ah, who cares if you're a bit confusing at times, at least you know the insults, and really, that's all that matters." as we descended to the pavement the murmuring started

"Oh my god it's more Titans!"

"It's that alien girl!"

"Do they go to our school?"

"What do you think they're doing here?"

"I wish she'd never come to our planet."

"Oh my god! It's that dead freak!"

"Doesn't he have a girlfriend?"

"I thought he hated them."

"Why do you think they're here?"

"Why isn't his hair on fire?"

"Ewww! Necrophilia!"

"Do you think she has a sister?"

"Do you think he knows any vampires?" Oh yeah, we were totally feeling the love.

"Why do they talk as if we were not here and can not hear them?" Starfire asked me

"Because, they're rude, and gossiping. It's a human thing, you just have to get used to it."

"I see. I do not find it very pleasant."

"Me either, but the best thing to do is just ignore it" with that last comment we saw Robin show up on his R-cycle and remove his helmet. I nudged Starfire. "Go talk with him." she nodded and began to smile in earnest before she went over to him.

They seemed a lot closer since I last saw them. There was the news conference where they were just normal team mates, then they bust into my shop a month later and she seemed to be concerned that I might have mistreated him. Then there was the three week cooling off period after Danielle came, followed by two weeks of me studiously ignoring the communicator...and now she's acting like a jealous girlfriend. Sure they're not really...are they? How close could they have gotten? Suddenly my ghost sense went off and I turn around looking for the disturbance. I turn to see Ember, Kitty and Johnny, Queen Dora and Pandora in a group with Dani.

Pandora was in her six foot form, she wanted to dance, not step on any of the party goers, and was wearing a white Greek dress edged in teal and gold. She was without any battle armor or weapons and her hair was over one shoulder, a mass of brilliant pink curls, but it looked good. Dora had let her hair down as well and was wearing a new gown you just _know_ was hand made for her. Kitty was in a small red dress that sparkled slightly in the light and Johnny was wearing clothes with no holes or stains in them, plus, an actual tie, go figure. Ember was wearing her best leathers and had a, no joke, _bedazzled_ guitar with her name on it slung across her back. Dani was in her human form wearing a light blue single strap dress and white bicep length white gloves. I decided to go over and greet them.

"Hey girls, you're all looking particularly beautiful tonight." Pandora inclines her head to me in simple thanks

"Many thanks good Sir Knight." Queen Dora says, in response I bow at the waist, take her hand and kiss the back of it looking into her eyes.

"T'is my pleasure Fair Queen Dora." she blushes and smiles off to the side

"Oh stop, we're all good friends here." I smile and stand, turning to Kitty

"Ever the pretty Kitty I see." she smiles more and Johnny glares slightly "Johnny."

"Punk." Kitty swatted him on the arm

"Ow, what was that for Kitten?" she gives him the evil eye for a second before gesturing to me

"His name's Da-" can't have anyone making the connection, no matter how slim the chance.

"Thanatos." Minus Dani and Ember they all look at me a bit surprised, and Pandora looks amused. Johnny starts

"Huh?"

"My hero name, it's Thanatos now." Pandora smirks

"I have known Thanatos, and while you do bear a certain resemblance you are _not_ a god of death _Thanatos_." I shrug

"It's my working name, and I honestly never thought I'd have to use it again, but for tonight's mission, I'm Thanatos. When this is all sewn up I'll go back to just being me." Dora smiled a tiny bit

"_Mission__?_ Is that what they call dates now-a-days?"

"Hey! This is us going undercover as a date so we can provide help to Robin if he needs it."

"Dipstick needs a wing man bad enough to make it mission? Talk about pathetic." I turn to tell Ember that it's not the case but Dani beats me to it

"Actually he's being held hostage along with the rest of the city or a madman will release a plague of mutant killer moths to devour everything." the rest of them just blink a few times "Yeah, I know."

"Okay, I retract my previous statement, whoever Robin's date is is pathetic. Holding the city hostage for a date? It's nice and evil but really, who would be so desperate as to-" she's cut off as a honking pink limo nearly runs her over. "OI! I'M STANDIN' HERE!" out from the pink monstrosity comes another pink monstrosity. Blonde, stuck up, in a dress that radiates 'I have money but no taste', and looking so far down her nose at everyone I was surprised she could see where she was going. Then she spotted Robin and started gushing. It was enough to make me want to strangle her, but I think I would have had to stand behind Starfire in the line.

"YOO-HOO! ROBIE POO! YOUR KITTEN HAS ARRIVED! ME-OWW!" her voice was so high pitched. And the way she spoke...I was seriously contemplating the pros and cons of a strong bitch-slap at the moment. The only con being that I might get some of her blood on me.

"Am I the only one feeling serious homicidal urges right now?" the rest of the group was twitching and I could see murder in their eyes. They hated her on principal. I think Sam would have exploded if they were within three miles of each other. I felt sorry for the guy as he trudged over to her.

"OH ROBIN. MY DATE. ROBIN." after she whispered to him for a few seconds I thought his jaw might break from how hard he was clenching it and he muttered something to her. "OH ROBIN, YOU'RE SUCH A GENTLEMAN! NOT AT ALL LIKE MY WORTHLESS EX BOYFRIEND _FANG_!"

"Oh boy, this is going to be long night." Just then Starfire came up and growled "Oh, guys this is my 'date' Star-" Starfire punched the hood of the car, completely decimating it. "-fire..." she turned her bright glowing and possibly smoking eyes to me, grabbed my arm and said

"Come. Now."

"Uh, Starfire, are you alr-" I couldn't hear the rest of my what I said over the vicious growl that came out of her mouth. I've faced down robots, storm deities, psychotic madmen, evil fruitloops and myself from an alternate evil timeline...but the look on her face just then scared me.

"Now." she then tugged my arm and suddenly we were on the ship just as the party started. Robin was adamant about sitting there doing nothing and so Starfire sat at a table close and watched them intently. Dani and her group had fun and I sent one of my duplicates to join in on the fun and dance with Dora. She always did want to go to a ball. Eventually, (i.e. - when it became clear Robin was just going to sit there all night) I got her talking again and we talked about what she had been doing with the Titans since I last saw her. Mainly they just took care of a few things like bank robberies and furnished the tower.

"I could probably get Dora to loan it to you. I don't really think she'd mind if you turned into a ghost dragon and ate Kitten."

"That _would_ be most helpful."

"But you'd probably get indigestion."

"She _is_ most foul." Coming from Starfire, that meant something, she told me what some of her planet's dishes were made of. I may never eat again. she gasped "Look!" I looked. Robin was slow dancing with Kitten

"Uh, why don't you go get some punch?" she glared at me before floating off to the 'food' table. Dani comes over to talk to me.

"Having fun pops?"

"Not really, mostly distracting Starfire by getting her to talk about her time as a Titan. How about you?"

"I'm having a blast! Pandora can really dance y'know? And Dora is really having a good time with you, well, other you. I think Ember's waiting for a dance with you. She doesn't look very patient." I glanced over to see her hunched over with her legs crossed and tapping her foot, sending me a glare just _full_ of killing intent.

"Well, she looks happy." Dani rolled her eyes

"Oh yeah, _totally_." suddenly there was a horrible screech ripping through several octaves

"_**WHAT?**_" everyone turned to look at Kitten and Robin, who was grinning like a devil. In the background Starfire could be seen smiling broadly as Robin told Kitten

"Killer Moth is being taken down as we speak. We're done here."

"NO we are NOT!" Kitten ripped the flower off of her chest to reveal a grey cylinder that looked suspiciously like a detonator "Daddy's not calling the shots tonight, I AM!" his eyes went wide

"Daddy?"

"One press of this button will emit a sound wave that will drive the moths _crazy,_ so, unless you want me to let those nasty bugs out for a late night snack, you better PUCKER UP!" she then proceeded to make kissy faces at him. Dani leaned over and whispered in my ear without taking her eyes off of the scene

"I think that broke Starfire's mind."

"We should have brought pop-corn."

"Way ahead of you dipstick." Ember plops down beside me crunching on some popcorn. She holds the bowl out. I take some and ask

"Where did you get this? I didn't see any pop-corn up at the table."

"I always carry around pop-corn, just in case some shit like this happens." the rest of the ghosts come over and watch as suddenly a man with a four legged spider for a head comes up, hits Robin, get's blasted by Star and confesses to loving Kitten before they proceed to make out. "This shit's better than a soap opera." I hear an unintelligible grumble and look over at Pandora with two of her arms crossed and two of her arms on her waist.

"Why are _you_ so grumpy?"

"Who's shield do you think is being used as the pop-corn bowl?" I glance at the underside of the bowl and, sure enough, it's carved with ancient Greek designs.

"Ah."

"INCOMING!" In quick succession I put up a green dome, two pink beams deflected off the side and hit a couple going out onto the dance floor, a splat of grey goo and a flying table both hit the dome. Once I blasted the table away and saw Robin kick Fang down from the string lights and jump down to stomp on him but instead, he ends up being juggled by the spider legs.

"When did they get up there?"

"Who cares?" Starfire started to screech

"THEY ARE **NOT** FIGHTING OVER **YOU**!" Kitten tackled her into a tray of food and they started rolling around in it. Then came an enthusiastic

"CAT FIGHT! Ow, Kitten!" Ah, Johnny and his mouth

"Ember's right," said Dani "way better than TV. Pass the pop-corn."

Pie in Starfire's face. Kitten thrown across the table knocking several dishes off. Starfire lunges but Kitten kicks her into the punch bowl and holds her down. Star wraps her legs around Kitten and slams her into a giant chocolate cake. There are several gasps from all around me, then just as I'm about to ask, the answer comes.

"You. Ruined. MY. _DRESS!_" With the last word Kitten brings her hand up and slams her thumb down on the trigger. Oh, this won't end well. Just over my shoulder, and past Robin who had dodged it, a clump of spider goo lands on Pandora's dress. The two keep fighting but from all of us who know Pandora there is a beat of silence...and then we all step away from her. She's pissy when slightly irritated. She just had her dress ruined. Kitty had her dress ruined and let loose a swarm of mutated giant moth like killing machines. Pandora...is considerably more dangerous. Pandora got up, a blank expression on her face.

"Uh, Pandora, I know you're angry bu-" one of her arms comes out and slams into me, sending me at least a hundred yards into the night. Luckily, I can fly and go through solid objects, or I'd be done right there. When I get back she's just reached the two battling boys. Robin comes in from above, attempting an aerial assault but Pandora catches his leg and throws him off to the side. She looks up at Fang.

"You ruined my dress." he just stares at her like she's crazy. "My mother made this for me before she passed on, and I had Clockwork restore it to it's former glory. It's thousands of years old." she...doesn't look pissed at all...which is somehow scarier.

"Look chick, I don't got time t-" Pandora grabbed his leg and pulled him down.

"You _ruined_ my dress." Off to the side Robin is about to jump in again but is held back by Dani. He's about to object but she just shakes her head and tells him to stay out of it. Robin...listens. "And now you shall pay for it." The guy laughs. Well, Darwinism and all, I don't think he'll be around much longer.

"Yeah, and just what are you gunna do? I'm bigger and badder and more powerful than you!" Okay, he _really_ needs to shut up now before she sinks the ship we're on.

"Oh really?" he cocks his fist back as Pandora hunches over and, just as he's about to strike, she turns into her thirty foot self, impressive black and gold dress, War helmet, her hair gone from curls to a mane of phosphorescent pink flame, eyes glowing red. Her voice, when she speaks, is full of authority, severity and most of all, power. "**I AM PANDORA AND YOU SHALL KNOW MY WRATH!**" While everyone is distracted by Pandora, I look to Kitten, also distracted, and blast her detonator to pieces, stopping the signal and the moths. Hopefully. Kitten lets out a screeching 'Nooooo!' very dramatically. Fang hears this and is about to go to her when Pandora steps in and proceeds to beat the ever lovin' crap out of him, and several wads of that grey goo. He gets up one last time, clearly very stupid when I speak.

"Hey Pandora, when you were a child, did you ever go out and find a daddy long leg and rip all of its legs off to see what would happen?" she grins a very creepy grin.

"No," she looks at Fang "but I'd like to." he faints. I honestly can't blame him for it.

"You do realize I was kidding right?" she looks at me for a minute then back at Fang

"Maybe."

* * *

Of course it was only a half hour later that the police showed up...in...storm trooper-esk uniforms. Was I the only one who found that odd? Anyways, by then the other three titans showed up with...a large silkworm.

"Y'know," Beastboy starts "when nobody's making them all mutated, these little guys might actually make good pets." he looked at Reven for confirmation but she just leaned away from him and said

"Don't even think about it." When Robin separated from the group to talk to the couple who became paralyzed Starfire looked at him...like Sam used to look at me. I nudged her shoulder.

"Just talk to him Star. He's going to be stupid and awkward but just keep talking to him." she nodded to me and left to talk but before she could spotlights turned on them and the PA system came on

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN YOUR PROM KING AND QUEEN THIS YEAR ARE...ROB-IN AND STARFI-IRE!" the two immediately relaxed ant turned to each other. Starfire blushed and Robin said

"I guess one more Dance wouldn't kill me."

* * *

After the dance everyone was getting ready to leave when Ember came up to me.

"Hey Da-uh, Thanatos, can we talk?"

"Uh, yeah Ember what's up?"

"In private?" I nodded and opened a portal to the Zone when Robin called

"Thanatos! I need to speak with you!"

"UGH!" I turned to the rest of the ghosts present "You guys go home, I have to talk to some people. Dani?"

"Yeah daddy?"

"You going to sleep over one of their houses or are you going home?" she glanced between the other two girls and me, going back and forth, back and forth. "Go, I'll see you tomorrow." she ran over and hugged me

"Love you daddy."

"Love you too li'l girl." she smiled at me and I smiled right back and ruffled her hair

"DADDY! Don't do that!" she scowled at me and I just laughed at her and shooed her off

"Go, have fun." she scowled a bit before smiling again and flying off and pulling both Pandora and Dora into the portal. Robin put a hand on my shoulder and before he could say anything I held up a finger. My index finger. "Ember asked first, I'll talk to you in a minute." both Ember and I flew up above the ship "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" she looked down and then, if anyone could be said to have done it in mid air, I think Ember did, she scuffed her foot.

"Well, um...I got asked out." I smiled, she couldn't see it, but I did. "I uh, do you...ugh."

"Ember...we're not going out, we were helping each other feel better and having a good time doing it. I'm not your boyfriend, and I'm not your father, I'm your friend. If you want to go out with someone, you don't need my permission, okay?" she looked up at me and smiled

"Still a dipstick."

"Still a bitch."

"Thanks dipstick." she suddenly grew fierce "Tell anyone I said that and I'll kill you."

"I don't think they'd believe me." she slugged me

"Shaddup moron." she flew through the portal before it closed and I descended to Robin.

"So, what's up Robin?" he shook his head.

"At the tower." I roll my eyes, duplicate four times, and port the rest of the titans to the top of the tower

"OK, so now what?"

"I know who you are." I freeze and turn to look at him. I'm sure my eyes are red.

_"What_ was that?" the ice in my voice froze the rest of the titans Robin kept on talking, he even put his hand on my shoulder

"I know who you are. Look, Danny, I know what happened and-"

"YOU KNOW **NOTHING!**" the titans flinched away from me as I jerked myself out of his grip. "You know nothing of what happened. You may know my name but that does not mean you know who I am, just what I am called." I leaned in close to him and whispered so no one else could hear "Dick Greyson." He was ashen and then hostile, grabbing my tux and pinning me to the wall. I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes "Oh, did I strike a nerve? Good, and no I didn't read it, I figured it out. I may be clueless but I'm not a moron, in fact, I'm from a family of geniuses." his voice was low as he growled

"If you tell ANYONE-"

"I won't. Just because I _can_ do something doesn't mean I should. Does that seem like something you should take to heart _D.G._?" he just growled some more "Just because you know what other people say doesn't mean you know _anything_ at all, much less the truth. Don't act like you know me D. You know what blind rumor mongers recorded to sell papers, nothing more, nothing less. This changes nothing." I cock my head to the side "Actually, it just shows that you're a lot more stupid than you think you are." he leaned in close, still holding me to the wall.

"I know how to stop you, to remove your ghost half and destroy it." I smile and lean in close too. Not a pretty smile.

"I know how to travel back in time and make sure you were never born."

"You're not a killer."

"Can't kill what was never alive. How about I make your mother barren? Make sure your parents lived? That you were switched at birth? That, just before one of us could get to you aliens put you in a coma? Make sure that you were delayed a few days, that the titans formed, without you?" his glare hardened "I could do so _very_ many things to you Robin, and all without _my_ powers. Don't threaten me Dick, you might succeed but you sure as hell won't win. See you later Dick." I phase out of his grip and start to walk away.

"Thanatos," Raven "may I...?" sigh

"Why not? Everyone else today has." I open up two consecutive portals, one to the Ghost Zone and one in the Zone just beyond the first and from there to my living room. The portals were less than an inch apart "C'mon." I stepped through, leaving the titans on the roof.

"Dude, what just happened?"

"I...am not sure friend Beastboy."

"Whatever, I'm going to bed. Night y'all." Star and Beastboy looked at each other and Beastboy shrugged before following Cyborg.

"RAVEN. I don't trust him."

"You have done nothing to earn his trust either. You have only alienated alienated him by invading his past, a past, you have no right to."

"It concerns the safety of this team, of this city, then it gives me that right."

"You don't know what information is dangerous. Something innocuous might be earth shattering and something closely guarded may be just an embarrassing memory. Unless you know every detail of his life you won't know anything for sure."

"Which means I _need_ to know everything."

"What about his right to privacy?"

"No such thing." Raven just stared at him for a moment

"I rarely like anything, but I find I like what you say less than almost anyone else I have ever met."

"I can deal with that." Raven shook her head and walked over stepping through the portal, but a second before she did Robin flicked his wrist out and a small object attached to her cape.


End file.
